OPEC oil production fell to its lowest level in almost two years in September, as further declines from Libya and Iraq brought the producer group close to its 30mn b/d output target, agreed in December 2011. Saudi Arabia too cut back production in September, from a 33-year high of 10.2mn b/d posted for the previous month.

Initial MEES estimates put total supply from the producer group at 30.04mn b/d, down significantly from an upwardly revised 30.83mn b/d in August. The 800,000 b/d month-on-month fall is the largest such dip since March 2011 when the Libyan civil war got into full swing. (CONTINUED - 1002 WORDS)