OPEC and non-OPEC cooperation deal to be signed in three months: UAE

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – A general cooperation agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC countries will be signed in three months’ time in Saudi Arabia, the UAE’s energy minister said on Monday.

“By (the) end of March the document will be ready for signature,” Suhail al-Mazrouei said at an event in Abu Dhabi of the cooperation agreement, which will be a forum with frequent meetings to work together to achieve market balance.

In a separate deal on Friday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some non-OPEC producers including heavyweight Russia said they would cut oil supply by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

OPEC agreed to cut production by 800,000 barrels bpd, led mainly by Saudi Arabia, while non-members will cut by 400,000 bpd, with most of that shouldered by Russia.

They will decide on whether to extend that agreement after six months, al-Mazrouei, OPEC’s current president, said.

Qatar’s exit from OPEC “is not going to affect us or the production moving forward,” he said.

“OPEC is attracting non-OPEC members like South Africa and others,” he added.

Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, Writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Alexander Smith