What is OPEC+ and how does it differ from OPEC?

OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a 13-country group of major oil-exporting nations, founded in 1960 and headquartered in Vienna. OPEC+ is an expanded alliance formed in December 2016 that includes the original 13 OPEC members plus 10 non-OPEC oil-producing nations — most notably Russia (the world's third-largest oil producer), Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Oman, Malaysia, and Bahrain. Together, OPEC+ controls approximately 40–45% of global crude oil supply and coordinates production to manage oil prices. The '+' addition of Russia and other non-OPEC producers significantly strengthened the group's market management capacity.

How does OPEC+ set production quotas?

OPEC+ production quotas are agreed at ministerial meetings (typically held biannually, with additional extraordinary meetings as needed) among energy ministers and oil ministry representatives from member countries. Each country receives a baseline production level and an allocated quota — a target or ceiling. Voluntary additional cuts may be offered by individual members (typically Saudi Arabia and Russia) above the agreed group quota. Compliance is tracked by a Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) using third-party data from IEA, EIA, and S&P Global. Non-compliance is common — particularly from members with less political investment in the alliance (such as some African OPEC members). Saudi Arabia as swing producer often compensates for others' overproduction.

How do OPEC+ production cuts affect petrol and diesel prices?

OPEC+ production cuts reduce global crude oil supply, which — if demand is unchanged — pushes Brent crude prices higher. A $10/barrel Brent crude increase translates to approximately 6–8 ct/litre at the petroleum product wholesale level, and approximately 7–10 ct/litre at the pump (including VAT). The transmission is not immediate: crude price changes take approximately 1–3 weeks to flow through to retail pump prices as existing wholesale inventory turns over. The magnitude of the pump price impact also depends on the excise duty and tax level in each country — high-tax countries (UK, Netherlands) see proportionally smaller percentage movements because the crude-linked component is a smaller share of their total pump price.

OPEC+

The expanded alliance of 23 oil-producing countries — the 13 original OPEC members plus Russia and other non-OPEC allies — that coordinates crude oil production to manage global oil supply and prices.

Definition

OPEC+ is a coalition of 23 oil-producing nations that coordinates crude oil production policy to influence global oil supply and prices. It comprises the 13 original OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) members plus 10 non-OPEC producers who joined the production coordination framework in December 2016 — most notably Russia.

OPEC+ collectively produces approximately 40–45% of global crude oil and holds approximately 80% of the world's proven oil reserves. Its production decisions are among the most closely watched variables in global energy markets, directly affecting the cost of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel worldwide.

For the original OPEC organisation history and structure, see our OPEC glossary entry. For OPEC+'s 2027 production outlook, see our OPEC+ 2027 outlook. For how oil price movements affect pump prices, see our how OPEC affects fuel prices guide.

OPEC+ member countries (as of 2026)

Group	Members	Approx. production (mb/d, 2026)
OPEC Gulf core	Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran*	~22
OPEC non-Gulf	Nigeria, Libya, Algeria, Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Venezuela	~7
Non-OPEC allies	Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, Bahrain, Malaysia, Mexico, Sudan, South Sudan*	~14

*Iran, Libya, Venezuela, Mexico, Sudan, South Sudan are exempt from or not participating in current quota agreements.

How OPEC+ production coordination works

Ministerial meetings (typically biannual, or extraordinary if needed) set group production levels — a total quota distributed among willing members
A Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) tracks compliance using IEA, EIA, and S&P Global Platts third-party production data
Voluntary additional cuts: individual members (typically Saudi Arabia) may offer voluntary unilateral cuts above the group quota to support prices — announced separately
Non-compliance: historical average OPEC+ compliance is approximately 80–90% — some members persistently overproduce their quotas, partially offsetting the group's price support
The Saudi swing producer role: Saudi Arabia has the largest spare capacity and the most to gain from price stability. It regularly adjusts its own output to compensate for others' overproduction or for unexpected demand shortfalls

The December 2016 turning point
OPEC+'s formation in December 2016 was a watershed for oil markets. The prior 2014–2016 period saw OPEC (without Russia) abandon production limits to protect market share against US shale — resulting in Brent crude falling from $110/barrel (2014) to $30/barrel (January 2016). Russia's inclusion in OPEC+ from December 2016 transformed the group's production discipline. OPEC+ coordinated cuts of ~1.8 mb/d in early 2017 pushed Brent back above $50/barrel, eventually reaching ~$80/barrel in 2018. The alliance has since managed production through COVID (extraordinary 9.7 mb/d cut in May 2020), the 2022 Russia-Ukraine crisis, and 2023–2026 demand uncertainty. For the full production strategy context, see our OPEC+ production strategy 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is OPEC+ and how does it differ from OPEC? OPEC (13 members) was founded in 1960. OPEC+ (23 members) was formed in December 2016 when Russia and 9 other non-OPEC producers joined a production coordination framework with OPEC. The key addition is Russia — the world's third-largest oil producer (~9 mb/d). OPEC+ controls ~40–45% of global supply vs OPEC alone's ~30%, giving the expanded group substantially greater market management capability.: OPEC (13 members) was founded in 1960. OPEC+ (23 members) was formed in December 2016 when Russia and 9 other non-OPEC producers joined a production coordination framework with OPEC. The key addition is Russia — the world's third-largest oil producer (~9 mb/d). OPEC+ controls ~40–45% of global supply vs OPEC alone's ~30%, giving the expanded group substantially greater market management capability.
How does OPEC+ set production quotas? OPEC+ quotas are agreed at biannual ministerial meetings, with each country receiving a production baseline and allocation. Compliance is monitored by the JMMC using IEA/EIA/Platts data. Saudi Arabia as swing producer typically compensates for others' overproduction. Average compliance has been ~80–90% historically. Voluntary individual cuts (usually Saudi Arabia) are additional to the group quota.: OPEC+ quotas are agreed at biannual ministerial meetings, with each country receiving a production baseline and allocation. Compliance is monitored by the JMMC using IEA/EIA/Platts data. Saudi Arabia as swing producer typically compensates for others' overproduction. Average compliance has been ~80–90% historically. Voluntary individual cuts (usually Saudi Arabia) are additional to the group quota.
How do OPEC+ production cuts affect petrol and diesel prices? Production cuts reduce crude oil supply, pushing Brent prices higher. A $10/barrel Brent rise equates to ~6–8 ct/litre wholesale and ~7–10 ct/litre at the pump (with VAT). Price pass-through takes 1–3 weeks. High-tax markets (UK, Netherlands) see smaller percentage movements because excise duty (fixed) dilutes the crude price signal. See our guide to how OPEC affects fuel prices for a full explanation.: Production cuts reduce crude oil supply, pushing Brent prices higher. A $10/barrel Brent rise equates to ~6–8 ct/litre wholesale and ~7–10 ct/litre at the pump (with VAT). Price pass-through takes 1–3 weeks. High-tax markets (UK, Netherlands) see smaller percentage movements because excise duty (fixed) dilutes the crude price signal. See our guide to how OPEC affects fuel prices for a full explanation.