Russia Slightly Raised July Oil Output Ahead of OPEC+ Easing

(Bloomberg) -- Russia slightly increased its oil production in July, ahead of OPEC+ plans to start easing record supply cuts starting this month.

The nation's producers pumped 39.63 million tons of crude and condensate last month, according to preliminary data from the Energy Ministry's CDU-TEK unit. That's an average of 9.371 million barrels per day, applying a 7.33 barrel-per-ton conversion rate, and is above June levels, when output averaged 9.329 million daily barrels.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies last month agreed to start tapering their cutbacks to 7.7 million from Aug. 1 from 9.6 million barrels a day in July. The group will be returning supply at a time oil's recovery has faltered with coronavirus infections still surging in many parts of the world, and new cases emerging in Asia and Europe.

Also read: OPEC+ Prepares to Pump More Oil Just as Market Recovery Teeters

Russia, often a laggard in previous OPEC+ deals, showed almost full compliance in May and June. The nation's crude oil output target for May-July was 8.5 million barrels a day, excluding condensate. The CDU-TEK doesn't provide a breakdown, but if condensate production was at the same level as in May, then crude-only supply reached 8.571 million barrels a day in July.

The country kept its crude production in July at June levels and its compliance with the OPEC+ deal is close to June, Energy Ministry's press office said in the statement Sunday. The nation's compliance in June was 99%, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said last month.

Starting this month, Russian producers can increase crude oil output by 500,000 barrels a day to 8.99 million a day. Not all of that may end up in international markets because the Energy Ministry advised oil companies to process additional August output domestically to satisfy growing demand.

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