For those who have any doubt this phenomenon is repeating itself (yet again) with oil prices rising (yet again), we have out today . . .
>>>
Bloomberg <<<
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]
OPEC’s Oil Output Rose 1.5% in May, Survey IndicatesBy Karyn Peterson and Mark Shenk
June 1 (Bloomberg) -- The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries increased oil output by 1.5 percent in May, the biggest gain since 2007, a Bloomberg News survey showed.
Oil output averaged 28.15 million barrels a day last month, up 405,000 from April, according to the survey of oil companies, producers and analysts. The 11 OPEC members with quotas, all except Iraq, pumped 25.76 million barrels a day, 915,000 more than their target.
OPEC agreed at three meetings last year that the 11 members with quotas would cut output by 4.2 million barrels a day to 24.845 million. The group, in a meeting May 28 in Vienna, decided not to reduce their production targets further because of concern higher prices might harm an ailing global economy. Ministers are scheduled to meet again on Sept. 9.
“Some members have been suffering because of recent cutbacks and have decided to take advantage of the higher prices,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research, in Winchester, Massachusetts.
“There’s a feeling that the market can tolerate greater production because of the recent rise in prices.”[...]