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Developing countries’ difficulty in containing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic will keep a lid on global oil demand, particularly in India, the OPEC cartel said Sept. 14 as it cut its forecasts.

OPEC expects demand for its crude oil to rebound sharply next year, surpassing levels seen before the coronavirus crisis, as rival producers struggle to revive output.

OPEC slashed oil production to the lowest level since the Gulf War in 1991, as it escalated efforts to revive global markets just as a resurgence of the coronavirus is threatening demand again.

Three OPEC members identified by their peers as failing to bring production down to target levels in May appear to have begun improving their compliance in June, if lower exports are any indication. But for the biggest overproducer, Iraq, that first step is a small one.

The nationwide average price of a gallon of diesel increased by 1 cent to $2.396, according to the weekly report from the Energy Information Administration on June 8.

Oil headed for a sixth weekly gain after OPEC+ reached a tentative agreement to prolong its record production cuts and U.S. jobs data was better than expected.

OPEC and its allies edged closer to a consensus on extending production cuts to prop up the oil market, even as wrangling continued for a third day about whether to bring forward their next meeting.

The average price of a gallon of diesel fuel fell only half a penny nationwide to $2.394 from $2.399 the previous week, according to the Energy Information Administration's weekly report May 11.

Saudi Arabia announced a surprise move to slash oil output to the lowest point in 18 years as it tries to spur the recovery from an energy crisis that has devastated the kingdom’s finances.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf suppliers may have agreed to cut oil production again starting next month, but by all indications the taps are set to remain wide open until then — swelling stockpiles for at least a few more weeks.