Benchmark oil prices are little changed during morning trading on Tuesday, and the day before, quotes fell to their lowest levels since mid-November on fears that OPEC+ countries will not fully comply with their commitments to reduce production.
The price of February futures for Brent on the London ICE Futures exchange by 7:10 a.m. was $78.03 per barrel, which corresponds to the level at the close of the previous session. The day before, these contracts fell in price by $0.85 (1.1%) to $78.03 per barrel.
Quotes for January futures for WTI in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) by this time increased by 5 cents to $73.09 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, they fell by $1.03 (1.4%) to $73.04 per barrel.
On Monday, both brands ended trading at their lows since November 16.
Last week, some OPEC+ countries announced a voluntary reduction in oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2024. The reduction in production by OPEC+ will ensure a balance in the oil market in the first quarter of next year, but without further measures in the second quarter, the global market may experience a surplus of 1 million bpd, Citi analysts fear.
In addition, the fact that the oil production restrictions are voluntary raises skepticism about compliance with the terms of the agreement, the analysts added.
