Report: Russia, OPEC agree to prolong deal for entire 2018

MOSCOW, Nov 24 (PRIME) -- OPEC and Russia have crafted the outline of a deal to extend their oil production cuts to the end of 2018, although both sides are still hammering out crucial details, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people involved in the conversations.

The OPEC and several non-OPEC nations led by Russia will meet next week in Vienna to discuss prolonging their output curbs. The Kremlin had been hesitating over the need for an extension when the current deal doesn’t expire until the end of March.

After days of talks, Moscow and Riyadh now agree on the need to announce an additional period of cuts at the November 30 meeting, the people said, asking not to be named because the conversations are private. Russia wants the extension deal to include new language that would link the size of the curbs to the health of the oil market, they said.

Russia is ready to discuss prolonging the cuts at next week’s meeting, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters in Santa Cruz, Bolivia earlier Friday. He declined to say whether Russia favors an extension now.

The negotiations are still ongoing, with oil ministers due to arrive in Vienna early next week. The deal isn’t finalized as Russia and Saudi Arabia haven’t yet agreed on the new language, the people said.

OPEC and non-OPEC countries are discussing several formulas to accommodate the Russian demands, including linking the cuts to the supply-demand balance on the global oil market, or the level of oil inventories in industrialized countries, the people said. Another option is making a clear reference to the fact that the deal could be reviewed again early next year, including the possibility of calling for another meeting.

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