Press Releases 2018
OPEC 175th Meeting concludes
07 Dec 2018 | The 175th Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was held in Vienna, Austria, on Thursday, 06 December 2018, under the Chairmanship of its President, HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy & Industry and Head of its Delegation.
The 5th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting concludes
07 Dec 2018 | The 5th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, 07 December 2018, under the Co-Chairmanship of OPEC’s President, HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy & Industry of the United Arab Emirates and Head of its Delegation, and HE Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
Opening address to the 175th Meeting of the OPEC Conference
06 Dec 2018 | by HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, and President of the OPEC Conference.
Qatar gives notice of its withdrawal from OPEC
03 Dec 2018 | The OPEC Secretary General, His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, has today received a letter from the State of Qatar giving notice of its intention to withdraw from its Membership of OPEC, pursuant to Article 8 of the OPEC Statute, with effect from 1 January 2019.
Ali Rodriguez Araque, former OPEC Secretary General, passes away
21 Nov 2018 | It is with great sadness that OPEC has learnt of the passing of one of the Organization’s and Venezuela’s most respected and distinguished leaders, His Excellency Ali Rodriguez Araque. The OPEC Secretariat extends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family of HE Rodriguez Araque, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the People's Minister of Petroleum, Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez.
JMMC meeting in Abu Dhabi focuses on supply and demand outlook for 2019
11 Nov 2018 | The OPEC-Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) convened in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for its eleventh meeting on 11 November 2018. The Committee reviewed the monthly report prepared by its Joint Technical Committee (JTC) and the short-term developments in the global oil market, including prospects, as well as scenario analysis for 2019.
JMMC expresses satisfaction with developments in the oil market
25 Oct 2018 | The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) reviewed the monthly report prepared by its Joint Technical Committee (JTC), including the overall conformity levels of the countries participating in the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’, during the month of September 2018, as well as the short-term prospects of the global oil market.
Third High-level Meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue
17 Oct 2018 | The third High-level Meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue was held on 17 October 2018 in New Delhi, India. The Meeting was co-chaired by HE Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.
OPEC's World Oil Outlook 2018 launched in Algiers
23 Sep 2018 | The 2018 OPEC World Oil Outlook (WOO) was launched today in Algiers, Algeria. First published in 2007, the WOO offers a thorough review and assessment of the medium- and long-term prospects to 2040 for the global oil industry, as well as analysis of various sensitivities that have the potential to impact the petroleum industry in the years ahead.
JMMC meets in Algiers to monitor developments in the oil market
23 Sep 2018 | The Joint OPEC-non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) convened in Algiers, Algeria for its tenth meeting, on 23 September 2018. The Committee reviewed the monthly report prepared by its Joint Technical Committee (JTC) and the short-term developments in the global oil market, including prospects for 2019.
OPEC: 58 today
14 Sep 2018 | On this day in 1960, the five Founding Fathers of OPEC, Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo of Venezuela, Abdullah al-Tariki of Saudi Arabia, Dr Tala’at al-Shaibani of Iraq, Dr Fuad Rouhani of IR Iran and Ahmed Sayed Omar of Kuwait came together in Baghdad at the Al-Shaab Hall in the Bab Al-Muaatham district to establish OPEC at what is now known as the historic ‘Baghdad Conference’.
OPEC's World Oil Outlook to be launched in Algiers on 23 September 2018
06 Sep 2018 | The 2018 OPEC World Oil Outlook (WOO) will be presented at a press conference to be held at the El Aurassi Hotel in Algiers, Algeria, on Sunday, 23 September 2018 at 3:15 pm (Algiers time).
JMMC continues to monitor developments in the oil market
30 Aug 2018 | The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) reviewed the monthly report prepared by its Joint Technical Committee (JTC) including the overall conformity levels of countries participating in the “Declaration of Cooperation” during the month of July 2018, as well as the short-term prospects of the global oil markets.
JMMC concludes a teleconference meeting addressing oil market conditions, and short-term prospects
18 Jul 2018 | The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) held its 1st Teleconference Meeting today, where it reviewed recent market developments, and considered the report provided by the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) regarding the monitoring of the overall conformity levels of participating countries in the Declaration of Cooperation for the month of June 2018.
The 4th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting concludes
23 Jun 2018 | The 4th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday, 23 June 2018, under the Co-Chairmanship of OPEC’s President, HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy & Industry of the United Arab Emirates and Head of its Delegation, and His Excellency Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
OPEC 174th Meeting concludes
22 Jun 2018 | The 174th Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was held in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, 22 June 2018, under the Chairmanship of its President, HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy & Industry of the United Arab Emirates and Head of its Delegation.
Opening address to the 174th Meeting of the OPEC Conference
22 Jun 2018 | by HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, and President of the OPEC Conference.
OPEC launches 2018 Annual Statistical Bulletin
07 Jun 2018 | The OPEC Secretariat has announced the release of the 53rd edition of the Annual Statistical Bulletin (ASB). This year’s ASB provides updated statistical data on the oil and natural gas activities of each of OPEC’s 14 Member Countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. As in previous years, it also contains valuable industry data for various countries around the world, organized mainly by geographic region, and covers the world’s major economic areas.
JMMC reports record conformity level in April and pledges to address consumer anxiety over security of oil supplies
25 May 2018 | The 24 OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries participating in the voluntary production adjustments continue to maintain outstanding levels of conformity to the terms of the historic ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ of December 2016, according to the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC).
OPEC Secretary General meets with EU Commissioner, Günther Oettinger
11 May 2018 | HE Günther Oettinger, the European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, and the former European Commissioner for Energy, accompanied by a delegation of high level German dignitaries, visited the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna today, and met with its Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.
OPEC Secretary General receives Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Energy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of OPEC
07 May 2018 | OPEC Secretary General, His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, was presented with the Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Energy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of OPEC, at a ceremony in Doha, Qatar. The Award was a recognition of the pivotal role the Secretary General played in the adoption of the ‘Declaration of Cooperation,’ which has had a transformative impact on the global oil industry.
Participating OPEC-non-OPEC Countries Achieve Highest Ever Conformity Level
20 Apr 2018 | The OPEC/Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) convened in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for its eighth meeting, on 20 April 2018. It announced that, based on the Report of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) for the month of March 2018, following successive months of record-breaking performances, OPEC and participating non-OPEC countries have achieved a conformity level of 149% with their voluntary production adjustments, the highest level so far.
IEA Executive Director visits OPEC Secretary General at Vienna headquarters
04 Apr 2018 | [Joint Press Release] Dr. Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, accompanied by a delegation of senior IEA officials, visited the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna today, and met with its Secretary General, H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.
Outstanding performance by participating OPEC-non-OPEC countries leads to highest ever conformity level
21 Mar 2018 | Participating OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries have set a new record in February with their voluntary production adjustments, achieving a level of 138%, according to the OPEC-non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC).
HE Dr. Sun Xiansheng honoured with Crans Montana Forum’s Gold Medal
20 Mar 2018 | OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, has congratulated HE Dr. Sun Xiansheng, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF), on being awarded the Crans Montana Forum’s Gold Medal during an official ceremony in Dakhla, Morocco.
High-level experts meet for 6th Joint IEA-IEF-OPEC Workshop on the Interactions between Physical and Financial Energy Markets
15 Mar 2018 | [Joint Press Release] The International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Energy Forum (IEF) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met today at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, Austria, to participate in the 6th Joint IEA-IEF-OPEC Workshop on the Interactions between Physical and Financial Energy Markets.
Alirio Parra: a true OPEC icon
09 Mar 2018 | It was with great sadness that OPEC has learnt of the passing of one of the Organization’s and the petroleum industry’s most respected and legendary leaders, Dr. Alirio Parra. The OPEC Secretariat extends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Parra.
Second year of Declaration of Cooperation begins with record-breaking conformity level
22 Feb 2018 | OPEC and participating Non-OPEC producing countries have started 2018 with an outstanding conformity level with their voluntary production adjustments, according to the OPEC-Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC).
Global Energy Leaders Assess Energy Future at 8th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks
14 Feb 2018 | [Joint Press Release] Energy ministers and world-renowned experts gathered in Riyadh for the 8th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks that the International Energy Forum (IEF) convenes yearly in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to discuss energy outlooks, review historical baseline data, and advance the comparability of different scenarios in a collective effort to enhance producer-consumer dialogue on energy security and market transparency.
Participating countries conclude successful year with record-breaking conformity level
21 Jan 2018 | The OPEC/Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) convened in Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman, for its seventh meeting, on 21 January 2018. It announced that, based on the Report of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) for the month of December 2017, following continuous months of excellent performances, OPEC and participating non-OPEC countries have achieved a record-breaking conformity level of 129% with their voluntary production adjustments. The monthly average conformity level for the first year of the Declaration of Cooperation was a remarkable 107%.
OPEC Secretary General meets with HH Kuwait’s Emir, Deputy Prime Minister, Oil Minister
17 Jan 2018 | His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of the State of Kuwait, yesterday received His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), for a meeting in Bayan Palace, Kuwait City. The Secretary General also met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, His Excellency, Anas Khalid Al-Saleh. The meeting with the Emir was also attended by His Excellency Bakheet S. Al-Rashidi, Kuwait’s Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water and Kuwait’s Governor to OPEC Mr. Haitham Al-Ghais.