Indian Stock Market Tips|Turmoil in emerging markets has Opec on alert, Saudis likely to be cautious
The oil cartel has memories of the impact of the 1997 Asian crisis when it boosted output, ignoring a crisis brewing in emerging markets that led to benchmark oil prices falling below $10 a barrel
For more than two decades, OPEC has tried to avoid repeating a mistake that cost it dearly. In November 1997, at a meeting in Jakarta, Saudi Arabia convinced fellow oil producers to boost output, ignoring a crisis brewing in emerging markets.
The output increase came at the worst possible time. What in November 1997 looked like a hiccup, by mid-1998 was a full emerging-markets crisis spreading to Russia and Brazil. Global oil demand growth slowed, in part because of an unusually warm winter in the northern hemisphere. Benchmark oil prices fell below $10 a barrel, the lowest since the 1973-74 oil embargo.
For Saudi Arabia, it was a painful blunder and one that Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries officials have vowed never to repeat. Now the cartel is facing trouble again in emerging markets. So far, it isn’t remotely similar to the 1997 crisis. And yet, signs abound of slower economic growth from Turkey to China.
"The balance of risk clearly indicates that the slowdown in the global economy would have by far the biggest impact on oil prices compared to supply shocks," said Bassam Fattouh, director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
The oil ministers of Saudi Arabia, Russia and a handful of other nations are scheduled to hold a conference call at the end of the month to discuss the market. This is a new practice by the so-called Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which includes ministers from both OPEC and non-OPEC countries, to oversee compliance with the production cuts agreed to in late 2016.
Futures Under Pressure
Brent fell to a four-month low of $70.30 this week -- down about 13 percent from a peak of $80.50 in mid-May. The international benchmark was dragged lower by slower buying from China, higher OPEC and Russian production and concern that trade wars will slow economic growth and cause global energy demand to contract.
Since 1997, OPEC has become cautious about any sign of economic trouble. As the oil cliche goes, Riyadh was still haunted by the "Ghost of Jakarta".
For Saudi Arabia, the turmoil in emerging markets is another complication in an already testy environment. OPEC has sought to adjust production in response to the unknowns of the impact of US sanctions on Iranian crude and the collapse in Venezuelan output. The kingdom, according to people briefed by Saudi officials, would prefer to be cautious.
Where to Look in the Oil Market for Clues of a Demand Slowdown
The wariness already explains why Riyadh cut production in July after hiking it in June, the same people said, asking not to be named discussing private conversations. Saudi Arabia told OPEC it pumped 10.35 million barrels a day last month, down from almost 10.5 million in June.
Yet, while the turmoil gives OPEC officials reason for caution, the economic outlook isn't nearly as bad as it was two decades ago. Annual oil demand growth remains above the 10-year average. Moreover, refining margins, an indicator of consumption strength, are also healthy.
“The situation looks different for OPEC today than in the 1990s,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. “Prices have stayed strong until recently, and OPEC has shown a flexibility and strong discipline that wasn't the case back then."
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