Summary

A widened OPEC meeting, alternately dubbed ‘OPEC+’ or ‘OPEC++’ by observers, was held via teleconference today. It drew together most energy-producing countries on the planet, and for the first time in recent memory even involved representatives from Canada and the United States, albeit obliquely.

All parties would technically stand to gain from higher oil prices, but the timeless questions of who cuts and how much were the usual ‘devil in the details.’ And like OPEC deals in the past, the ultimate success of this one will be less determined by what is said today and more by what is actually done in the weeks ahead.

Early indications suggest a failure on both counts.