Shutterstock Challenges, on both the supply and demand sides, are ramping up ahead of Opec-plus’ ministerial meeting next week.When faced with uncertainty, producers’ traditional response is to do as little as possible.A desire to maintain group unity will likely trump other priorities, such as revamping Opec-plus’ discredited quota system. Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter Interest in Opec-plus’ Sep. 5 meeting is ratcheting up, and with good reason. With the group’s post-Covid-19 supply agreement having expired, all options are open. Demand concerns driven by fears of an economic downturn have kept prices under pressure in recent weeks, despite recent Saudi talk of a potential supply cut should the market warrant it. Whatever happens, ongoing Opec-plus coordination seems a sure thing, with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak saying Thursday that his view "is that we need to continue such cooperation" given its effectiveness to date.
