OPEC may discuss production cuts as oil slide continues
Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute in SMU's Cox School of Business, talks about OPEC considering a cut in the price of oil.
By Barbara Hagenbaugh
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Citing a deteriorating world economy, OPEC on Thursday called a special meeting for next month to consider options. The announcement suggests the cartel will likely cut production in a bid to put a floor under rapidly falling oil prices.
But given the weakening economy, which likely will lead consumers and businesses around the globe to further reduce oil consumption, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will have a hard time reversing the downward momentum in prices, analysts say. Oil prices continued to drop Thursday to the lowest in nearly a year even after OPEC's announcement. . .
Oil prices have plunged 40% since hitting a peak closing price of $145.29 more than three months ago. Prices have been falling as the financial turmoil threatens the world economy, and thus, demand.
Thursday, the price of a barrel of light, sweet crude oil trading for delivery in November fell $2.36 to $86.59. That was the lowest since Oct. 23, 2007. The drop came even after OPEC said it would hold a special meeting in Vienna on Nov. 18.
Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University, says cartel members may meet even sooner to cut production if prices continue to fall rapidly. But Bullock says he wouldn't expect anything too drastic from OPEC.
"They have taken a lot of political heat in the last year, and I don't think they want to be seen as piling on, given the financial crisis right now," he says.