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OPEC Pumps 29.95 Million Barrels Per Day in June, Up 200,000 Barrels Per Day, Platts Survey Shows

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 July 2006, 09:00 CDT

LONDON, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- OPEC boosted its overall production in June by 200,000 barrels per day (b/d) to 29.95 million b/d from 29.75 million b/d in May, thanks largely to a boost in Iraqi volumes as crude flows resumed along the pipeline linking Iraq's northern fields with Turkish port Ceyhan, a Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials showed July 7.

Excluding Iraqi volumes, production from the ten members with quotas under a notional 28 million b/d ceiling edged up by 40,000 b/d, to 27.83 million b/d in June from 27.79 million b/d in May, the survey showed.

Iraqi production rose by 160,000 b/d, from 1.96 million b/d in May to 2.12 million b/d, the highest level since October 2004. The higher volumes were the result of increased exports, including some 4 million barrels of Kirkuk crude lifted from Ceyhan on the Turkish Mediterranean in the last few days of the month.

Smaller production increases came from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Qatar and the UAE.

Nigerian production climbed by 50,000 b/d to 2.35 million b/d as higher output from offshore fields helped offset the 500,000 b/d of crude production shut in since early this year by militant attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

The group's biggest producer, Saudi Arabia, increased output by 50,000 b/d to 9.25 million b/d. Although the kingdom claims total current production capacity of 11.3 million b/d, it cut back its output over the spring from long-held levels of around 9.5 million b/d, saying there was little demand for its heavier crudes.

The increases, which totaled 320,000 b/d, were partly offset by 120,000 b/d of output decreases from Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, and Venezuela.

Most OPEC members, including Algeria, overproduced their notional output quotas in June, but Indonesia, Iran and Venezuela significantly underproduced theirs.

Indonesian production averaged just 920,000 b/d in June, 531,000 b/d under its 1.451 million b/d quota. Iran claims to be able to pump more than 4 million b/d, although it admits it has had problems selling heavier crudes such as Soroush and Nowruz, but the survey showed Iranian production at just 3.79 million b/d in June, 320,000 b/d below Tehran's 4.11 million b/d quota. Venezuelan production, which has never recovered after the crippling two-month oil strike of the winter of 2002-2003, declined further to 2.55 million b/d, which is 673,000 b/d below the country's 3.223 million b/d quota.

John Kingston, Global Director of Oil at Platts, said, "In a $75 market, it is worrying that three significant producers -- Iran, Indonesia and Venezuela -- showed drops in output. These countries are not even near their OPEC-designated quotas, which are not as significant as they once were, but the failure to even be at that level is a sign of both poor operational performance and declining geology. It's particularly striking that these countries had declines in the same month that a country racked by turmoil, Iraq, managed to turn in a significant upturn in output, and now looks like it will be regularly exporting crude from the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan."

Country June May Apr Mar Feb Jan Quota Algeria 1.350 1.370 1.370 1.370 1.370 1.370 0.894 Indonesia 0.920 0.930 0.930 0.920 0.920 0.920 1.451 Iran 3.790 3.850 3.880 3.860 3.860 3.900 4.110 Iraq 2.120 1.960 2.010 1.820 1.790 1.530 N/A Kuwait 2.540 2.540 2.540 2.540 2.540 2.540 2.247 Libya 1.690 1.670 1.670 1.670 1.670 1.660 1.500 Nigeria 2.350 2.300 2.200 2.150 2.370 2.400 2.306 Qatar 0.820 0.810 0.810 0.810 0.800 0.800 0.726 Saudi Arabia 9.250 9.200 9.100 9.500 9.500 9.480 9.099 UAE 2.570 2.540 2.530 2.500 2.480 2.540 2.444 Venezuela 2.550 2.580 2.590 2.600 2.600 2.580 3.223 Total 29.950 29.750 29.630 29.760 29.920 29.680 28.000 OPEC 10 27.830 27.790 27.620 27.940 28.130 28.150 28.000 (excluding Iraq)

For more information on OPEC, go to the "Platts Guide to OPEC" at http://www.opec.platts.com/.

About Platts

Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies , is a leading global provider of energy information. With nearly a century of business experience, Platts serves thousands of customers across more than 150 countries. From 16 offices worldwide, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical and metals markets. Platts' real time news, pricing, analytical services, and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better, faster, and more profitable decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Platts

CONTACT: Larry BarthPlatts-US+1-212-904-4492larry_barth@platts.comLouise NoblePlatts-UK+-44-0-20-7176-6202louise_noble@platts.com

Web site: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/http://www.platts.com/http://www.opec.platts.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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