Oil producers mull output freeze in Qatar meeting

The world's biggest oil producers began talks in Qatar on Sunday to try to reach a deal on capping production to boost prices, although energy giant Iran turned down the invitation.

Talks were delayed by several hours after some countries demanded changes to a draft agreement that calls for freezing production until October, a delegate told AFP.

The delegate said a "small team of experts" was assigned to make the changes before the ministers went into the official meeting in the afternoon.

But top energy officials from some 15 countries - including the world's top crude producers Saudi Arabia and Russia - were at the Doha talks.

Nations inside and outside the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are anxious to stem a market nosedive that has cost exporters billions in lost revenue.

Oil prices have dropped from $100 in mid-2014 to 13-year lows of around $27 in February due to a supply glut. Since then they have since rebounded to about $40.

The meeting in Doha is a follow-up to talks in February between OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela plus Russia in which they first mooted the output freeze.

Iran won't 'give up' production

Saudi Arabia has insisted that all major producers must be on board for the freeze to work, including fellow OPEC member and regional rival Iran.

But Tehran - which has boosted production following the lifting of sanctions under its nuclear deal with world powers - has rejected any talk of a freeze.

Iran had initially said its OPEC representative would participate in the talks but on Sunday Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh announced Tehran would send no delegation at all.

"The Doha meeting is for people who want to participate in the production freeze plan... but since Iran isn't expected to sign up to the plan the presence of an Iranian representative isn't necessary," Zanganeh was quoted as saying by the Shana news agency.

The Doha meeting is for people who want to participate in the production freeze plan. - Bijan Zanganeh

"Iran will in no way give up its historic production quota," Zanganeh said.

Influential Saudi deputy crown prince Mohamed bin Salman reiterated in an interview with Bloomberg published on Saturday that the kingdom would not accept a freeze without Tehran's cooperation.

But Kuwaiti oil expert Kamel al-Harami said a freeze agreement was still possible even without Iran.

"Iran is unable to add more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) to its production by the end of the year," Harami told AFP in Doha.

"I believe this will not greatly impact the meeting," he said.

Atmosphere of optimism

OPEC said on Wednesday that Iranian oil production in March was 3.3 million bpd, up from 2.9 million in January, but still short of its pre-embargo level of around 4.0 million.

OPEC said its members pumped 32.25 million bpd in March - with Saudi Arabia accounting for nearly a third - up from an average of 31.85 million bpd in 2015.

Saudi Arabia has refused to cut production despite the price fall, as it seeks to drive less-competitive players, especially US shale producers, out of the market.

But pressure has been building as falling oil revenues hit state coffers, with Riyadh posting a record budget deficit last year.

OPEC said that Iranian oil production in March was 3.3 million bpd, up from 2.9 million in January, but still short of its pre-embargo level of around 4.0 million.

Host country Qatar said "an atmosphere of optimism" spread on the eve of the meeting.

Kuwait's acting oil minister Anas al-Saleh told reporters on arrival in Doha that "he was optimistic" about the success of the conference, which took place as thousands of oil workers in his country began an open-ended strike Sunday to protest against a government proposal to cut their wages.

Oil prices had tumbled on Friday as traders bet that the meeting in Doha will yield no effective measures to curb the global oversupply.

On Thursday the International Energy Agency had warned against expecting too much from the Doha talks, saying that the meeting would have only a "limited" impact on supplies.