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Oil Price Rises After Shocking OPEC+ Production Cut

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The oil price has surged to $86 per barrel after the world’s largest producers, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced a surprise cut in production.

The development, is, however, likely to stimulate fresh tensions with the United States as Western governments try to get a grip on inflation.

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According to the Guardian UK, the OPEC+ group of countries, which includes major producers Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Russia, said they would reduce production by around 1 million barrels a day, accounting for about 3.7% of global demand.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Loses N101bn Worth Of Oil, OPEC Says

The move is atop of existing plans to continue cutting 2 million barrels a day – initially decided in November – until the end of 2023.

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The decision instigated an immediate spike in Brent crude futures contracts for May, with the international benchmark for oil prices rising more than 7% to $86 a barrel on Monday morning.

Shares in the UK’s biggest oil producers jumped in response to higher oil prices. BP and Shell were up 4% on Monday morning, making them the top risers on the FTSE 100. The FTSE 250 companies Harbour Energy and Tullow Oil were up nearly 6% and 4%, respectively.

While OPEC+ representatives said the move was proposed to support market price stability, some analysts said members were angling for higher profits.

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READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Crude Oil Production Drops To 1.417mbpd In February – OPEC

“Officially, the cartel wants price stability in oil markets,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank. “But in reality, they simply want higher prices.”

The cut arises following a drop in oil prices in the first three months of the year, which resulted in its worst first-quarter performance since travel bans came into force at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

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But the western governments are concerned that the decision by OPEC+ to prop up prices could harm efforts to curb inflation that were originally exacerbated by geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Crude Oil Sales Rise By 46% To N21tn – NBS

Michael Hewson, the chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: “The reality is that inflation is unlikely to be receding any time soon short of an economic collapse, and with OPEC+ unexpectedly announcing at the weekend that they would be cutting output by 1.1 million barrels a day from next month, we could well see the economic boost offered by the recent fall in energy prices start to reverse if this morning’s surge in oil prices gains traction and starts to head towards $100 a barrel.”

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The United States came out strongly against the OPEC+ output cut, which could prompt a further spike in fuel prices and consumer costs more broadly. “We don’t think cuts are advisable at this moment given market uncertainty – and we’ve made that clear,” a spokesperson for the US national security council said.

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NNPCL Reduces Fuel Price After Dangote Refinery’s Adjustment

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has reduced its premium motor spirit pump price on Thursday, according to DAILY POST.

It was confirmed that NNPCL retail outlets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have reduced their pump price to N890 per litre from N945.

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This new fuel price has been reflected in NNPCL retail outlets such as mega station Danziyal Plaza, Central Area, Wuse Zone 4, Wuse Zone 6, and other of its filling stations in the nation’s capital.

READ ALSO:N5bn Damage: NNPCL Secures Appeal Court Victory Against Ararume

The latest downward review of fuel price in NNPCL outlets represents an N55 reduction in fuel pump price.

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It was reduced to N890 per litre this afternoon, down from N945,” an NNPCL fuel attendant told DAILY POST anonymously on Thursday.

This comes a Nigerian filling station, MRS Empire Energy, on Thursday adjusted their fuel pump price to N885 and N946 per litre, down from N910 and N955 per litre.

The latest fuel price reduction trend is unconnected to Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot petrol price adjustment by N30 to N820 per litre from N850 and the price of crude oil in the international market.

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Dangote Refinery Reduces Fuel Price

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the ex-depot (gantry) price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol, by N30, from N850 to N820 per litre, effective from August 12, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement by the company’s spokesman, Anthony Chijiena, on Tuesday.

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The 650,000-barrel-per-day plant said the move is part of its unwavering commitment to national development, assuring the public of a consistent and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.

READ ALSO:Dangote Refinery Gets New CEO

In line with our dedication to operational excellence and sustainable energy solutions, Dangote Petroleum Refinery will commence the phased deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution across Nigeria, effective August 15, 2025,” said Chijiena.

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The announcement comes as the refinery prepares to commence direct fuel distribution nationwide. The development is expected to lead petroleum product marketers to reduce their pump prices in the coming days.

In Abuja, the retail fuel price stood between N885 and N970 per litre as of Tuesday evening.

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Indian Refiners Abandon Russia For Nigerian Crude, As Dangote Refinery Relies On US

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India Refineries have abandoned Russian crude for Nigerian crude, while domestic refiner Dangote Refinery relies heavily on West Texas Intermediate crude from the United States of America.

This followed a recent sanction threat by US president Donald Trump on India over continued patronage of Russian crude.

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According to Reuters, industry sources said that Indian Oil Corporation recently bought one million barrels of Nigeria’s Agbami crude for September 2025 delivery in a tender awarded to global trader Trafigura.

Also included are one million barrels of Angola Girassol, one million barrels of US Mars, three million barrels of Abu Dhabi Murban, and two million barrels of Nigerian oil, according to Reuters.

READ ALSO:‘My Eyes Dey Your Body’: Drama As Portable Professes Love For Regina Daniels

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The report noted that the purchase is part of a broader sourcing spree that has seen Indian refiners secure millions of barrels from non-Russian sources post July 2025.

Meanwhile, Indian refiners secured purchases of Nigerian crude grades; the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, is relying on around 60 percent on US and other imoorts to feed its processing units.

Data showed that the refinery imported an average of 10 million barrels in July 2025, saying it was increasingly relying on the US for its feedstock despite the naira-for-crude deal with the Federal Government, which kicked off in October last year.

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According to Reuters, the Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum have bought a million barrels of non-Russian crude billed for delivery in September and October after the US pressured India to halt purchases from Russia.

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Indian state refiners had been largely absent from the Nigerian crude market spotlight since 2022; they have in the past concentrated on Russian crude amid the Russian-Ukrainian war. However, the Indian refiners paused Russian purchases in late July 2025 after pressure from US President Donald Trump.

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On the part of Dangote Refinery, data from commodities analytics firm Kpler showed that in July, US barrels accounted for about 60 percent of Dangote’s 590,000 barrels per day of crude intake, with Nigerian grades making up the remaining 40 percent.

In July, the Dangote refinery’s crude imports surged to a record 590 kbd—driven largely by US barrels overtaking Nigerian supply for the first time—amid ongoing domestic sourcing challenges, Kpler reports.

“While WTI has held a significant share in Dangote’s import slate since March, this is the first time US crude has overtaken Nigerian supply—a shift driven by several factors,” Kpler stated.

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