The Minister of Energy of Algeria and President of the OPEC Conference in 2020, HE Mohamed Arkab, has said that following an extraordinary meeting of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) held in Vienna, from 4-6 Feburary 2020, the JTC has recommended extending voluntary production adjustments under the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ process until the end of 2020 and to proceed with an additional adjustment until the end of the second quarter.

The JTC’s recommendations come in response to the fact that the coronavirus epidemic "has had a negative impact on oil demand and oil markets," the President of the Conference said.

"The coronavirus epidemic is having a negative impact on economic activities, particularly on the transportation, tourism and industry sectors, particularly in China, and also increasingly in the Asian region and gradually in the world," he added.

In response, the JTC has recommended extending the current production adjustments until the end of 2020.

The Committee also recommended a further adjustment in production until the end of the second quarter of 2020. The Minister stressed that he "supports the conclusions of the JTC."

Arkab intends "to continue his consultations with OPEC Member Countries and non-OPEC countries participating in the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ to seek consensual solutions, on the basis of the said proposal of the Technical Committee, to rapidly stabilize the oil market and deal with the current situation."

The Minister stressed that "the situation is clear; it requires corrective action in the interest of all."

About OPEC

In accordance with its Statute, the mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.