Oil rises on Saudi plan to deepen output cuts from July

Oil rises on Saudi plan to deepen output cuts from July

Oil prices rose by more than $1 a barrel on Monday after top crude exporter Saudi Arabia pledged to cut production by a further 1 million barrels per day (bpd) from July to counter macroeconomic headwinds that have depressed markets.

Brent crude futures were up $1.81, or 2.4%, at $77.94 a barrel by 1114 GMT after touching a session high of $78.73.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed by $1.84, or 2.6%, to $73.58 after hitting an intraday high of $75.06.

Both contracts extended gains of more than 2% on Friday after the Saudi energy ministry said the kingdom's output would drop to 9 million bpd in July from about 10 million bpd in May. The cut is Saudi Arabia's biggest in years.

The voluntary cut is on top of a broader deal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia to limit supply into 2024 as the OPEC+ producer group seeks to boost flagging oil prices.

OPEC+ pumps about 40% of the world's crude and has cut its output target by a total of 3.66 million bpd, amounting to 3.6% of global demand.

"Saudi remains keener than most other members in terms of ensuring oil prices above $80 per barrel,