As good as it gets for Opec
Compliance with the Opec deal is defying the group's sceptics. How long can it last?
Opec's supply deal is off to a flyer. Compliance among the members that agreed to cut production is more than 90%. Brent, trading above $55 a barrel in mid-February, is about 14% above its price just before the group's meeting at the end of November 2016. But keep the champagne on ice. January's level of compliance will probably be the high-water mark of this Opec agreement. Discipline fades over time. The more successful the cuts are in raising the price, the greater the temptation for members to cheat their quotas. And the biggest producers stand ready to react when the deal unravels. Compliance is uneven. Saudi Arabia has slashed almost 0.5m barrels a day, according to Opec's secondary so
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
