OPEC Output Falls in November as Nigeria, Iraq Suffer Production Outages
By Naija Enquirer Staff
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) recorded a slight decline in crude oil production for November, pumping an estimated 28.40 million barrels per day (bpd) a drop of 30,000 bpd from October, according to a Reuters survey.
Nigeria and Iraq posted the largest declines, with Nigeria’s output hit by a fire on the Yoho production platform, which forced a shutdown and reduced shipments.
The dip came despite an OPEC+ agreement to raise production for the month. The wider OPEC+ alliance — comprising OPEC and non-OPEC partners including Russia — has slowed its monthly output increases over concerns of a potential global supply glut.
Many member countries are already running close to capacity limits, while others are required to implement additional compensation cuts due to previous overproduction. These constraints have undermined the impact of planned volume increases.
Under the November agreement, five OPEC members — Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — were expected to collectively raise output by 85,000 bpd, before factoring in 140,000 bpd in compensation cuts from Iraq and the UAE. The survey found that actual increases amounted to only 40,000 bpd.
Iraq’s lower exports were linked to ongoing pipeline maintenance, while Nigeria’s Yoho platform fire contributed significantly to the country’s reduced output.
The survey also revealed wide disparities in output estimates for Iraq and the UAE, with several external tracking agencies reporting higher production levels than official country submissions or OPEC’s secondary sources.
Reuters’ monthly assessment is based on flow data from LSEG, insights from shipping trackers such as Kpler, and information from oil companies, OPEC contacts, and energy consultants — aiming to capture actual supply delivered to market.
OPEC+ continues to navigate delicate market conditions as members balance production targets, capacity limits, and global demand patterns heading into 2026.
