OPEC Slashes a Record 2.2M Barrels

OPEC expected to slash production to push up prices

(NEWSER) - Oil prices continue to plunge as demand slackens amid the global economic downturn. Oil has dropped 19% drop this week, the biggest weekly decline in five years, reports Bloomberg. Prices have tumbled 70% since reaching a record $147.27 in July, and some predict prices may dip as low as $25 a barrel. OPEC will announce a cut in output at its next meeting Dec. 17, according to a spokesman. More»

(AP) - Oil prices dipped below $60 a barrel tonight for the first time in about a year and a half, as a growing number of economic reports point to a long and painful recession. Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell to $59.97 in New York trading, the lowest level since March 2007, before ticking back up to $60.27. More»

Speculation is driving oil up, and that's a concern for consumers, economists

(NEWSER) - Oil prices have jumped 16% in two weeks, and analysts tell the Christian Science Monitor the run-up couldn't come at a worse time. As the US economy flirts with recession, beleaguered consumers could end up spending their economic stimulus checks to cover even higher gas prices. The $101.32 per barrel oil gushed to yesterday is attributed to cuts in production and fears that OPEC may trim output further at its meeting next month More»

As US drivers complain, those overseas think we're lucky

(NEWSER) - Gas prices are climbing again, which means people are complaining, which means it's time for a spate of stories showing how relatively cheap gas remains in the US. Here's a rough estimate of world prices per gallon, courtesy of CNN :

• US: $3.53
• Norway: $9.28
• Europe: Between $7.50 and $8 for most, including Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, and Germany.

Cable argues that kingdom can't pump enough crude to control prices

(NEWSER) - The world may be on the verge of an oil crisis, according to WikiLeaks cables released to the Guardian today. According to the cables, Sadad al-Husseini, the former head of Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil monopoly, warned diplomats that Saudi reserves were overstated by almost 40%, and that the country couldn’t reach the 12.5 million barrel-per-day production capacity needed to keep global oil prices in check. He predicted that the world would hit “peak oil” as early as 2012. More»