Austrian policemen guard the entrance to the headquarters of Opec in Vienna, Austria. Opec+ will convene its ministerial meeting on July 5 at 3pm Vienna time. AFP
Austrian policemen guard the entrance to the headquarters of Opec in Vienna, Austria. Opec+ will convene its ministerial meeting on July 5 at 3pm Vienna time. AFP
Austrian policemen guard the entrance to the headquarters of Opec in Vienna, Austria. Opec+ will convene its ministerial meeting on July 5 at 3pm Vienna time. AFP
Austrian policemen guard the entrance to the headquarters of Opec in Vienna, Austria. Opec+ will convene its ministerial meeting on July 5 at 3pm Vienna time. AFP

Crude settles above $75 as Opec+ dithers on output policy


Jennifer Gnana
  • English
  • Arabic

Oil prices narrowed their spread and rounded off the week higher as Opec+ adjourned a long-drawn out meeting over future production increases.

Brent, the international benchmark under which two thirds of the world's oil is traded, and West Texas Intermediate, the main US gauge, gained about 1 per cent during the trading week after bridging their spread and trading above $75 a barrel.

While WTI remained flat to settle at $75.24 a barrel, Brent prices increased by 0.53 per cent higher to $76.24 a barrel on Friday.

The crude benchmarks rose to multiyear highs in June, with WTI gaining 9.2 per cent during the month as it climbed to its highest level since October 2018.

Oil prices remained uncertain on Friday at the close of trading as Opec+, which is undertaking market corrections, adjourned yet another meeting.

The group, which is led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, failed to reach consensus on Thursday and Friday during a ministerial gathering that followed a joint ministerial monitoring committee meeting.

Opec+ is facing questions from major producers on the extension of current production curbs beyond April 2022.

Other members have called for a revision of the group's current baseline for calculating production quotas.

The group is looking to ease its current curbs and bring 2 million barrels per day back to the markets by the end of the year.

Growing demand for energy around the world – as economies relax Covid-19 mobility restrictions – has caused prices to rise by about 50 per cent from the beginning of the year.

“To produce more oil is what Opec+ wants as well – the proposal yesterday was to boost output by two million bpd until the end of the year – albeit in a controlled and cautious way, with a conservative 400,000 bpd production increase in August to start,” said Louise Dickson, an oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy.

“A production increase of up to 500,000 bpd in August would be an actually bullish development when compared with the demand sharp rise that the summer is bringing.”

Opec+ is considering a "gradual production increase" amid possible inoculation delays worldwide and the spread of a new and highly virulent coronavirus strain.

The producer group will convene its ministerial meeting on July 5 at 3pm Vienna time.

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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
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Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs

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War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Red flags
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

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Updated: July 04, 2021, 6:26 AM`