INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia's King Salman had agreed to his request to ramp up oil production,
a week after OPEC already announced an output rise.The official Saudi Press Agency confirmed a phone call between the two leaders about oil,
but mentioned no specifics."Just spoke to King Salman of Saudi Arabia and explained to him that, because of the turmoil dysfunction in Iran
and Venezuela, I am asking that Saudi Arabia increase oil production, maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels, to make up the difference," Mr Trump
announced in an early morning tweet."Prices too high! He has agreed!" The Saudi Press Agency said Mr Trump had called King Salman and the
two highlighted "the necessity of doing efforts in order to preserve the stability of the oil market and the global economy growth."They
also discussed "efforts of the producing countries to cover any possible shortage in supplies," the agency said in its brief report.Saudi
Arabia is the world's biggest oil exporter and has usually kept at least 1.5 million to two million barrels per day of spare capacity,
according to the United States Energy Information Administration.Simply not doableBut oil officials cited by The Wall Street Journal said it
is debatable whether the kingdom would be able to raise output by the amount Trump suggested."This is just simply not doable," said one
senior Saudi oil official cited by the Journal.Mr Trump has repeatedly lashed out at OPEC on Twitter in recent months, piling pressure on
Riyadh, a major ally, to boost output as he hopes for lower pump prices before midterm congressional elections in November.His latest
comments come a week after ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries -- of which Saudi Arabia is the major member
-- had agreed to raise output from July.Non-OPEC member Russia on June 23 also backed the effort, capping a week of tense diplomacy for the
grouping that averted a damaging rift between arch foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.The ministers announced they would ramp up oil production by
around one million barrels a day from July."I think it will contribute significantly to meet the extra demand that we see coming in the
second half," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Faleh told reporters at the time.A face saving dealThe talks had centered on whether to amend
an 18-month-old supply-cut deal between OPEC members and allied countries, including Russia, that has cleared a global oil glut and lifted
crude prices.The unprecedented supply-cut pact has lifted crude prices from below $30 a barrel in early 2016 to around $70.Saudi Arabia,
backed by non-member Russia, had argued strongly in favor of increasing production as grumbles in major consumer countries like the United
States, India and China have grown about higher prices.Iran opposed any changes to the original production-cut deal at a time when its oil
industry is facing renewed sanctions over Trump's decision to quit the international nuclear deal with Tehran.In the end, both sides were
able to save face.The current production curb pact calls for participating countries to trim output by 1.8 million barrels a day.But
production constraints and geopolitical factors have seen several nations exceed their restriction quotas, keeping about 2.8 million barrels
off the market, according to OPEC.By agreeing to collectively raise output by a million barrels, member countries are simply committing to
comply fully with the deal struck in late 2016.Iran has accused Mr Trump of trying to politicize OPEC and said it was US sanctions on Iran
and Venezuela that had helped push up prices.Saudi Arabia was producing around 10 million barrels of crude a day in May, according to
OPEC.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
