Energy and natural resources
OPEC+
A group of oil-producing countries, OPEC members plus other producers, that coordinate production targets.
Last reviewedWhat does OPEC+ mean?
OPEC is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, founded in 1960, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Venezuela and several African producers such as Nigeria, Algeria and Libya. OPEC+ adds a group of other producers, including Russia, Kazakhstan and Oman, that agreed in 2016 through the Declaration of Cooperation to coordinate output. Membership changes over time: Qatar left OPEC in 2019, and the United Arab Emirates left both OPEC and OPEC+ with effect from 1 May 2026. The group sets production targets for its members and adjusts them to market conditions, which can move oil prices. Example: with world oil demand of roughly 100 million barrels a day, a group cut of 2 million barrels a day removes about 2 percent of supply. Members hold spare capacity unevenly, and not all members always produce at their targets.
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Related terms
- National oil company (NOC)An oil and gas company owned or controlled by a government.
- Fiscal breakeven oil priceThe oil price a government needs to balance its budget.
- Price elasticity of demandHow strongly the quantity sold reacts to a change in price.
- Market shareOur sales as a share of total market sales.
- Barrel of oil equivalent (boe)A unit that converts gas into barrels of oil by energy content, so oil and gas can be added together.
- Lifting costThe cost of producing oil or gas from wells that already exist, per barrel.
- Full-cycle breakevenThe oil price a project needs to cover all its costs, including building it, and earn its required return.
- Crack spread (refining margin)The gap between the price of crude oil and the prices of the fuels made from it.