The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met on May 25, 2017, and announced an extension to production cuts that were originally set to end this month. The agreed-upon OPEC crude oil production target remains at 32.5 million barrels per day (b/d) through the end of the first quarter of 2018. EIA now forecasts OPEC members’ crude oil production to average 32.3 million b/d in 2017 and 32.8 million b/d in 2018, about 0.2 million b/d and 0.4 million b/d, respectively, lower than previously forecast. However, continuing production growth in many non-OPEC countries is expected to moderate the pace of global liquid fuels inventory draws in 2017 and lead to a small inventory build in 2018.

Brent crude prices LCOc1 were at $49.70 per barrel at 1351 GMT, down 42 cents. Brent is about 8 percent below its open on May 25, when OPEC and other producers agreed to extend oil output cuts through to the first quarter of 2018. U.S. light crude prices CLc1 were at $47.69 per barrel, down 50 cents.

EIA forecasts Brent spot prices to average $53/b in 2017 and $56/b in 2018.

The US Energy Information Administration lowered its crude-oil price forecast and raised its US production outlook for 2018. The lower price forecast reflects the possibility of a return to modest oversupply in global oil markets in 2018.

Global benchmark Brent LCOc1 advanced 1.1 percent to $50.48 a barrel. U.S. oil CLc1 also climbed 1 percent to $48.17.

A crude price in the $50s is the new reality for bosses of some of the world’s largest producers as output caps from OPEC and its allies are balanced out by rising U.S. shale.

As oil prices sag despite OPEC’s renewed efforts to shore up world crude markets, Wall Street banks have more bad news for the producer group: the outlook for next year isn’t great either.

U.S. Rig Count is up 508 rigs from last year's count of 408, with oil rigs up 408, gas rigs up 100, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canadian Rig Count is up 58 rigs from last year's count of 41, with oil rigs up 38 and gas rigs up 20.

Benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 were off by nearly 3 percent at $49.14 per barrel at 1034 GMT (6:34 a.m. ET), down $1.49 from the previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures fell $1.45 cents to $46.91 per barrel.

В своем докладе Глава «Роснефти» заявил, что период низких нефтяных цен надолго, в настоящее время цены зафиксировались в диапазоне от 45 до 50 долларов за баррель Брент, а волатильность рынков и неопределенность значительно выросли. «Нынешняя «передышка» не должна нас успокаивать, - заявил Игорь Сечин, – условий для стабильной работы рынка пока не создано. Ряд крупных производителей, которые не участвуют в договоренностях, активно используют конъюнктуру для усиления собственной рыночной позиции, что, скорее, создает предпосылки для новой нестабильности, нежели для выхода на траекторию устойчивого роста».