OPEC agrees to surprise output cut, oil price rises

VIENNA, Austria – OPEC oil ministers agreed Wednesday to trim overall output by more than 500,000 barrels a day in a compromise meant to avoid new turmoil in crude markets while seeking to bolster falling prices.

The news sent oil prices rising. Light, sweet crude for October delivery rose 97 cents to $104.23 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


The OPEC announcement reflected the organization’s efforts to cover all bases in an oil market that saw prices spike to a record high just short of $150 a barrel in July, only to shed nearly 30 percent off those peaks in subsequent months.

Oil prices had lost more ground Tuesday ahead of the decision, falling $3.08 to settle at $103.26 on the Nymex, the lowest settlement price since April 1.

AP