Saudi Arabia: Opec's Leading Oil Price Hawk?

摘要

Opec's traditional oil price hawks Iran, Venezuela and Algeria have had their wings clipped in recent years by sanctions, an economic crisis and dwindling production, respectively, but is the producer group's de facto kingpin Saudi Arabia taking up the fight for higher prices? The kingdom may not be looking for prices to skyrocket back to triple digits, with concerns of demand destruction at those levels still a pressing concern for the world's largest oil exporter. But Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's sweeping Vision 2030 economic reform plans require significant capital - capital that will be even harder to come by if the planned listing of Saudi Aramco is delayed or even canceled. Saudi Aramco previously spoke of a $60 oil price being necessary to fund its capital spending program and deliver needed revenues to the state, but reports have suggested that $70 has become a more desirable level.