Opec production soared by 2.57mn b/d to average 28.98mn b/d for 2022 (see table), as the producer group pursued its path out of the Covid-19 depths. This was the largest annual increase on record, yet the gains would have been higher still had renewed cuts not been implemented from November as the broader Opec+ alliance adopted a pre-emptive stance amid a weakening economic outlook (MEES, 7 October).