Five things to bear in mind about the Doha freeze talks

Qatar will host another oil-producer meeting on 17 April. But its success is in the balance

Most of Opec’s members, as well as Russia, Oman, Bahrain and possibly Norway, Mexico, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, will gather in Doha on 17 April to talk about freezing oil output and stabilising prices. Momentum towards a deal – building on an initial one from mid-February – has been building for several weeks. Some kind of freeze will be agreed; the participants know a sharp sell-off would follow any collapse in the talks. Much of the noise in recent days – including Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s comments that a deal will hinge on Iranian involvement – has been confusing. But a few things are plain. 1. A deal will immediately firm prices The earlier Doha deal – between Russia, Sa