DUBAI/DOHA (Reuters) – Even before taking over Qatar’s energy policy in a government reshuffle last month, Qatar Petroleum (QP) CEO Saad al-Kaabi had long wanted the Gulf state to leave OPEC. Qatar’s gas production has been a crucial factor in helping it weather the Gulf Arab boycott and it plans to boost capacity 43 percent by 2023-2024. “We don’t have enough weight in OPEC to have an effect,” he told reporters on the eve of his first and last meeting as the head of Qatar’s OPEC delegation. The plan to withdraw from OPEC likely started in June when Kaabi attended OPEC talks in Vienna with then energy minister, Mohammed al-Sada, according to the sources. Due to the Gulf rift, Qatar could no longer attend a traditional closed-doors meeting of Gulf oil ministers to agree policy before twice-yearly talks with all OPEC members.

Source: Egypt Independent December 13, 2018 09:00 UTC