NEW YORK: Oil prices fell by roughly $1 a barrel on Thursday after Angola said it would exit the Organisation of the Petro­leum Exporting Countries (Opec), raising questions about the producer group’s efforts to support prices by limiting global supplies.

Brent futures fell 94 cents, or 1.18 per cent, to $78.76 a barrel at 12:20pm. US West Texas Interm­ediate crude dipped 96 cents, or 1.29pc, to $73.26.

Earlier in the session, both benchmarks were do­wn by more than $1 on news that Angola was planning to leave.

Angola’s oil minister Diamantino Azevedo said the country’s membership in Opec was not serving its interests. The Saudi-led producer group in recent months has been rallying support to deepen output cuts and boost oil prices.

“It seems like Opec is losing the battle to keep prices higher,” Smith said, noting that non-Opec producers like the US have stepped up to fill the supply gap.

Angola produces aro­u­nd 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd), compared with 28 mi­l­l­ion bpd for the whole group.

The country’s exit raises questions about the cohesion and direction of OPEC, even though it is one of the smallest producers and its departure may have a limited impact on global supplies, Smith said.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023