U.S. crude production will average more than 10 million barrels a day for the first time in 2018, breaking a record almost five decades old and keeping prices from rising as much as previously estimated, government forecasts showed Tuesday.

OPEC’s crude oil production increased by 270,000 bpd in May over April, to stand at 32.12mn bpd – the highest level since January this year

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.

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.

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.

По итогам встречи стороны приняли Санкт-Петербургскую Декларацию Российской Федерации и Республики Индии: Взгляд в XXI век. В Декларации, в частности, отмечено стремление двух стран к строительству «энергетического моста» и расширению двусторонних отношений по всем направлениям, включая атомную, углеводородную и гидроэнергетику, а также возобновляемые источники энергии и повышение энергоэффективности.

US crude oil inventories fell for an eighth straight week and drawdowns appear to be expanding.

Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января-мая 2017 года составила $51,29 за баррель.

"When these factors are taken together I can only conclude that the supplies coming from marginal barrels including shale production will not be sufficient to meet the future need for incremental capacity the mid-term," Falih said. "The market balance is already pointing in that direction," he added.

Pumping crude from seabeds thousands of feet below water is turning cheaper as producers streamline operations and prioritize drilling in core wells, according to Wood Mackenzie Ltd. That means oil at $50 a barrel could sustain some of these projects by next year, down from an average break-even price of about $62 in the first quarter and $75 in 2014, the energy consultancy estimates.

The historic record of 10 million barrels per day was reached during November, 1970, when US oil prices were still below 3 USD. The record was close to being surpassed in 2015 when US production peaked in April at 9.6 million barrels. Production then dropped 1 million barrels per day over 18 months as oil prices fell from above 100 to below 40 USD.

Indonesia, which produces around 730,000 b/d of crude, relies on imports to meet domestic demand of 1.4 million b/d, with Nigeria accounting for 18% of oil imports.