Oil output up for 4th month in Aug

Published September 2, 2008

LONDON, Sept 1: Oil producing countries oil supply rose for a fourth consecutive month in August, mainly due to higher output from Iran and smaller increases in Nigeria and Angola, a Reuters survey showed on Monday.

The survey indicates the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is pumping almost 800,000 barrels per day more than its target and comes as some members are voicing concern that the world market is oversupplied.

Extra oil and declining demand from slowing economies in the West have helped lower prices to $113 a barrel from a record $147.27 in July.

Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets on Sept 9, and some analysts expect its next move will be to trim production.

“While the bias has been towards rising output for the last year, that period is drawing to a close and it’s a question of how much actual output is going to be trimmed in coming months,” said Paul Horsnell of Barclays Capital.

Supply from all 13 countries climbed to 32.82 million bpd in August from 32.59 million bpd in July, according to the survey of oil firms, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries officials and analysts.

Iran accounted for much of the increase. It supplied less oil than expected in July due to limited demand for its heavier crude oil grades, which meant more crude was held in storage.

Output in August rebounded to 4.05 million bpd from 3.7 million bpd in July due to higher sales, the survey found.

Nigeria and Angola are also pumping more. In Nigeria, where attacks by militants on oil installations have curbed output, production recovered by 60,000 bpd in August.

Angola also raised output slightly, despite the shutdown on Aug 16 of BP Plc’s 200,000 bpd Plutonio oilfield following an incident at a gas plant at the facility.

The survey also found that supply from Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has levelled off.

It pumped 9.65 million bpd in August, slightly less than 9.7 million bpd in July, according to the survey. Supply estimates fell into a relatively wide range in August from 9.45 million bpd to 9.8 million bpd.

The kingdom raised output earlier in the year to meet demand and to quell what it saw as unacceptably high prices.

Kuwaiti supply was revised higher for July after the country’s state oil company said last week the country had joined Saudi Arabia in pumping more oil in a bid to ease prices.—Reuters

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