OPEC+ Raised August Output by 188,000 Barrels. Several Outlets Reported a Cut.
OPEC+ agreed a 188,000 bpd production increase for August 2026 at its 5 July virtual meeting, the fifth consecutive monthly rise. Several outlets reported it as a cut. This is the correction, the quota-versus-actual gap that makes the increase largely paper barrels, and how to reconcile the conflicting output series.
The UAE Left OPEC After 59 Years. Saudi Arabia Lost Its Swing-Producer Leverage.
The UAE ended 59 years of OPEC membership on 1 May 2026 — the largest producer ever to leave. Its June output hit a record 4.1m bpd outside the quota system, while Saudi Arabia holds an allocation it cannot fill. What the exit does to Riyadh's swing-producer leverage, and how to read the contested output numbers.
The $113 Paradox: Saudi Arabia Needs Record Oil Prices to Fund the Plan to Not Need Oil
Saudi Arabia needs $96/barrel to balance its budget and $113 to fund Vision 2030. Analysis of the fiscal arithmetic that doesn't add up.