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After news emerged that an Omicron variant of the coronavirus existed, the World Health Organization speculated that the strain could be more infectious and resistant to existing vaccines than other high-profile strains. Following this assessment, oil prices slumped more than 10 percent amid fears that new lockdowns could lead to …

OPEC+ has postponed its Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) meeting in order to assess the new Omicron strain of COVID-19, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday. Originally scheduled for Nov. 30, the JMMC online meeting will now be held on Dec. 2, the same day as the …

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman played down the likely fallout from the new coronavirus variant that pummeled oil markets last week. “I’m a very relaxed person. I’m not concerned,” the minister said when asked how the new strain may affect demand. Abdulaziz, who was speaking to reporters in …

The high volumes of trade between Russia and China create significant potential for mutual settlements in yuan and rubles, while the security of settlements in dollars is in doubt, the CEO of Russia’s Rosneft Igor Sechin said on Monday. “The achieved volumes of trade between Russia and China create significant …

When President Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government would be releasing 50 million barrels of crude from the strategic petroleum reserve, perhaps those around him expected prices to go down significantly and stay down. Instead, prices rose, and OPEC+ gave a heavy hint it might cut supply. …

Oil prices recovered some losses with WTI crude gaining over five per cent on Monday morning as investors were a bit cautious and focused on new coronavirus variant Omicron’s spread. The spread of a new Covid-19 variant from South Africa, Omicron, resulted in sharp risk-off sentiment and sell-offs in global …

OPEC and its allies have postponed technical meetings to later this week, giving themselves more time to assess the impact of the new Omicron coronavirus variant on oil demand and prices, according to OPEC+ sources and documents. Oil prices crashed together with other financial markets on Friday by more than …

The value of Iran’s non-oil trade rose 40 percent during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced. Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi said …

The oil producers’ group OPEC+ will likely take a cautious stance when deciding this coming week whether to go ahead with planned output increases after the emergence of a new coronavirus variant sent crude prices tumbling, according to Vitol Group. There are signs that demand may be weakening in some …

Saudi Aramco is marking the start of its development of the Jafurah unconventional gas field on November 29, says a report by Arab News. The Saudi-listed firm claims it to be the “largest non-associated gas field” in the Kingdom. The move is part of the Kingdom’s push to commercialise its …