OPEC: Press statement

London, May 08 2008

By Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General

In recent months, oil prices have become increasingly volatile, mainly driven by financial
market developments and the increased flow of speculative funds into oil futures. The turmoil in
some global equity markets and the considerable depreciation in the US dollar have encouraged
investors to seek better returns in commodities, particularly in the crude oil futures market. This
has driven prices higher.

There is clearly no shortage of oil in the market. OECD commercial oil stocks remain above
the five-year average, with days of forward cover at a comfortable level of more than 53 days. US
crude inventories, meanwhile, rose by almost six million barrels last week, which is a further
indication that oil supplies are plentiful. OPEC Member Countries continue to produce at more than
32 million barrels a day (mb/d). In addition, a number of new OPEC crude oil projects have started
to come on-stream and OPEC spare capacity continues to increase, with the figure currently
standing above 3 mb/d. At the same time, crude oil movements indicate that some Member
Countries are unable to find buyers for their additional supply.

OPEC will continue to be proactive and monitor these developments closely. The
Organization stands ready to act if the market shows a need for any further measures.
The Organization will continue to strive for a stable and balanced market, with prices that
reflect fundamentals, and are favourable to both producers and consumers.

Ends --