May 2, 2003	Friday	Safar 29, 1424

RIYADH, May 1: Only a day after the departure of the United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham landed in Saudi Arabia to discuss developments in the oil sector in the region with the Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi. In a Saudi cabinet reshuffle announced on Wednesday, the oil minister Ali Al-Naimi retained his significant portfolio in the Saudi cabinet.

During the visit, the United States Energy Secretary also called upon the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and conveyed him greetings from President Bush.

Reports indicate that the United States Energy Secretary and the Saudi Oil Minister reviewed last week’s decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to reduce oil output by 2 million barrels a day, tightening the taps they had opened when the Iraq war threatened to create a shortage.

Saudi Arabia, Opec’s largest producer, had promised to maintain stability in oil prices during the war on Iraq.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’s 11 members pump about a third of the world’s oil. Member states also pledged in Vienna to try to erase the gap between what they say they will produce and the amount — significantly higher — that they are actually producing.

The decision means Saudi Arabia would reduce its production by 1 million barrels a day, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries President Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah was quoted as saying.

The future of oil in Iraq also reportedly came under discussion. Iraq started to pump oil from its Rumeila south oil field only last week.

The eventual resumption of crude exports from Iraq means the group has to decide how to reintegrate Iraq into the group’s quota system and control its oil output.