Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI4361
2003-09-28 09:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UAE'S REPRESENTATIVE TO OPEC "SURPRISED" BY
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 03/20/2007 05:24:44 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM September 28, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4361 - UNKNOWN) TAGS: EPET, PGOV, BEXP, ENRG, ECON, EINV Captions: None Subject: UAE'S REPRESENTATIVE TO OPEC "SURPRISED" BY DECISION TO CUT QUOTAS Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 04361 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: P/M AMB DCM POL Laser1: INFO: FCS DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: ECON: OJOHN DRAFTED: ECON:CCRUMPLER CLEARED: NONE VZCZCADI035 OO RUEHC RUEHHH RUEHDE RUCPDOC RHEBAAA RHEHNSC DE RUEHAD #4361 2710949 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 280949Z SEP 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1841 INFO RUEHHH/OPEC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI IMMEDIATE 3431 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004361
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/CBA, S/CT,
EB/ESC/IEC/EPC FOR MCMANUS
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS -- COBURN, CALIENDO, AND HUTTO
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
NSA FOR RICK KARP
E.O. 12958: DECL 09/28/08
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UAE'S REPRESENTATIVE TO OPEC "SURPRISED" BY
DECISION TO CUT QUOTAS
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004361
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/CBA, S/CT,
EB/ESC/IEC/EPC FOR MCMANUS
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS -- COBURN, CALIENDO, AND HUTTO
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
NSA FOR RICK KARP
E.O. 12958: DECL 09/28/08
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UAE'S REPRESENTATIVE TO OPEC "SURPRISED" BY
DECISION TO CUT QUOTAS
1. (U) Classified by Economic Section Chief Oliver B.
John, for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) In a 9/28 meeting with Econ Chief, UAE
Ministry of Petroleum Director of Economic Affairs and
OPEC delegate Hamdan Al-Akbari said he was "a little
bit surprised" by the organization's decision last
week to cut output by 900,000 barrels per day. Al-
Akbari admitted that it was a strange position to take
during the fourth quarter when demand for heating oil
in the northern hemisphere would be expected to rise.
3. (C) Although Al-Akbari did not/not attend the OPEC
meeting last week (he was returning to the UAE from
the WTO meetings in Cancun),he speculated that the
Iraqi delegate's presence at OPEC Headquarters might
have influenced the decision. He noted that the Iraqi
Oil Minister has made some very bold statements
earlier in the week at the IMF meetings in Dubai about
ramping up Iraq's oil production, and these statements
may have caused some concern among OPEC members. Al-
Akbari posited that downward pressure on oil prices
and increased Russian production might also have led
to OPEC's decision to cut quotas. He also was not
able to say which delegation had pushed for the
change.
4. (C) Comment: Although Al-Akbari did not attend the
OPEC meeting himself, he is privy to the UAE's OPEC
strategy by virtue of his position as the Oil
Ministry's head technocrat and, until very recently,
Chief of Staff to the UAE Oil Minister. Al-Akbari's
remarks indicate that the UAEG did not plan to cut
production at last week's meeting, but went along with
the rest of the pack once it became clear that there
was consensus for reducing quotas in November. End
comment.
Wahba
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, INR/EC, EB/CBA, S/CT,
EB/ESC/IEC/EPC FOR MCMANUS
USDOE FOR INT'L AFFAIRS -- COBURN, CALIENDO, AND HUTTO
USDOC FOR 1000/OC/
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/IEP/ONE
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
NSA FOR RICK KARP
E.O. 12958: DECL 09/28/08
TAGS: EPET PGOV BEXP ENRG ECON EINV TC
SUBJECT: UAE'S REPRESENTATIVE TO OPEC "SURPRISED" BY
DECISION TO CUT QUOTAS
1. (U) Classified by Economic Section Chief Oliver B.
John, for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) In a 9/28 meeting with Econ Chief, UAE
Ministry of Petroleum Director of Economic Affairs and
OPEC delegate Hamdan Al-Akbari said he was "a little
bit surprised" by the organization's decision last
week to cut output by 900,000 barrels per day. Al-
Akbari admitted that it was a strange position to take
during the fourth quarter when demand for heating oil
in the northern hemisphere would be expected to rise.
3. (C) Although Al-Akbari did not/not attend the OPEC
meeting last week (he was returning to the UAE from
the WTO meetings in Cancun),he speculated that the
Iraqi delegate's presence at OPEC Headquarters might
have influenced the decision. He noted that the Iraqi
Oil Minister has made some very bold statements
earlier in the week at the IMF meetings in Dubai about
ramping up Iraq's oil production, and these statements
may have caused some concern among OPEC members. Al-
Akbari posited that downward pressure on oil prices
and increased Russian production might also have led
to OPEC's decision to cut quotas. He also was not
able to say which delegation had pushed for the
change.
4. (C) Comment: Although Al-Akbari did not attend the
OPEC meeting himself, he is privy to the UAE's OPEC
strategy by virtue of his position as the Oil
Ministry's head technocrat and, until very recently,
Chief of Staff to the UAE Oil Minister. Al-Akbari's
remarks indicate that the UAEG did not plan to cut
production at last week's meeting, but went along with
the rest of the pack once it became clear that there
was consensus for reducing quotas in November. End
comment.
Wahba