Closing remarks by OPEC Secretary General

Delivered by HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, at the launch of the 2021 Annual Statistical Bulletin, 30 September 2021, via videoconference.

Distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank you all for attending this virtual launch of the 2021 Annual Statistical Bulletin. Allow me to thank our special guest and co-sponsor of this event Professor Thomas Lindner of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, for his participation in this launch here today. Your support of this flagship OPEC publication and our ongoing efforts to promote accurate, timely and transparent data in the global oil and gas industry are highly valued. Professor, we look forward to future collaboration with you on this and other projects of mutual interest.

I would also like thank the Head of the Data Services Department, Ms. Boshra AlSeiari and her team for the very rich presentations and engaging panel discussions on the ASB’s key highlights.

Again, I must also recognize the crucial contributions of our Member Countries to the production of this publication. This includes, of course, the OPEC Conference, the Board of Governors and the Economic Commission Board. Their contributions and leadership have been indispensable to our efforts.

Finally, allow me to express my appreciation to the staff here at the OPEC Secretariat who were involved in the production of this fine product, which will provide a wide array of stakeholders across this industry with reliable oil, gas and energy data made available at their fingertips through the ASB SmartApp. Although the Data Services Department led this project, valuable editorial, communications and public relations support was provided by the Department of Public Relations and Information.

Delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Today’s launch of the 56th Edition of the Annual Statistic Bulletin helps to remind us what lies at the core of our work here at the OPEC Secretariat. And that is: numbers, figures, statistics and data. Every single decision taken is based on these, and that is why we spend so much time making sure they are accurate, up-to-date and transparent.

Year after year, for 56 years now, we have steadily enhanced the ASB and refined it to the point at which it has become a standard-bearer in this industry. Consequently, today, industry stakeholders rely on it as a trusted and valuable source.

Thus, it is with great pleasure that we once again release this flagship publication and provide it as a service to the global energy industry.

The ASB is just one of many initiatives OPEC continues to pursue in our overarching goal of promoting oil market stability, strengthening transparency while deepening the understanding of OPEC’s role within the global energy community.

OPEC and our non-OPEC partners of the Declaration of Cooperation are a leading example today of what can be achieved in our industry by working together and openly exchanging information and outlooks. This indeed goes to the core of OPEC’s vision and mission, and fully underpins our efforts to promote multilateral stakeholder engagement with our global partners.

We look forward to what we can achieve together in the coming years. My hope is that, going forward, the transparent data exchange and mutually beneficial dialogue at the global level will continue to flourish in the years ahead. This will underpin our ongoing efforts to promote a sustainable stability in the global oil market, in the interests of producers, consumers and the global economy.

Thank you.