RIYADH: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, is moving two technical meetings to later this week after oil’s rout last Friday, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.
The move seeks to allow its committees more time to evaluate the impact of a new strain of the coronavirus.
A joint technical committee meeting will now be held on Wednesday, instead of the planned date Monday, according to delegates from some member countries.
The joint ministerial monitoring committee, which comprises representatives of the broader group, will meet on Thursday instead of on Tuesday.
The OPEC and broader OPEC+ meetings will go ahead as planned on Wednesday and Thursday with ministers set to decide on whether to go ahead with planned output increases.
The delay will allow time for the group to analyze the market after a more than 10 percent drop in prices on Friday after the emergence of new coronavirus variant spooked traders.
OPEC will also weigh the potential impact of a planned release of strategic petroleum reserves by the US and other oil consuming nations.
