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US President Donald Trump has accused the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) of “keeping oil prices artificially very high.”
In a tweet this morning he said the practice was “no good and will not be accepted”
His words: Looks like OPEC is at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!”
But in his reaction, OPEC secretary general, Mohammad Barkindo, said the United States was benefitting from the current stability in the oil market.
According to him, the OPEC/non-OPEC agreement rescued the oil industry from imminent collapse
He said the OPEC-led supply cut deal “has not only arrested the decline but rescued the oil industry from imminent collapse and is now on course to restore stability on a sustainable basis in the interest of producers, consumers and the global economy”.
As at Thursday, OPEC daily basket price stood at $70.96 a barrel, compared with $69.39 on Wednesday.
But West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, rose to $68.53 a barrel on Friday, from $68.29 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Thursday.
Similarly, Brent crude, the global benchmark inched above the $73 mark on Friday, the highest since 2014.
According to CNBC, Trump’s agitation may be fueled by news that major oil producers may be targeting much higher oil prices.
Saudi Arabia, a key OPEC member, has conveyed desire to see crude prices at around $80 or even $100 a barrel.
This is partly due to the kingdom’s planned initial public offering of Saudi Aramco, its state oil company.