The OPEC+ alliance has postponed its assessment of members’ oil production capacity, a review that will play a key role in determining production quotas for 2027, amid the impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran and delays to capacity expansion projects across the Middle East.
The alliance, which brings together OPEC members and non-OPEC producers including Russia, launched the capacity review in late 2025 and had initially set the end of September 2026 as the deadline for completing the process.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the deadline has passed without the review being finalized. One source said the assessment could now be completed by mid-November.
OPEC has not yet commented on the reported delay.
The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted projects intended to increase production capacity in several OPEC+ countries, making it more difficult to determine the amount of crude each producer can sustainably supply.
The sources said some members have yet to provide the data required for the assessment, without identifying the countries involved.
The review is particularly significant for OPEC+ negotiations, as updated production-capacity estimates could affect the quotas assigned to individual members and the amount of oil they are permitted to produce.
The assessment is designed to provide an updated, independent estimate of each country’s sustainable production capacity, a key benchmark in discussions over future output targets.
If the review shows that some countries have lower production capacity than previously estimated, their quotas could come under pressure, while producers that have expanded their capacity may seek larger allocations.
The UAE had sought a higher OPEC+ production quota to reflect its increased capacity before leaving OPEC in May. Reuters sources also reported in June that Iraq was seeking a larger quota and had considered the possibility of withdrawing from the organization.
