LONDON — OPEC, alarmed by the drop in oil prices, has advanced its
emergency session to Oct. 24.
OPEC said its special ministerial session would be brought forward from
Nov. 18 to Oct. 24. Officials said OPEC would cut crude oil production by at
least one million barrels per day in an attempt to stabilize prices, Middle East Newsline reported.
"I think it is absolutely scandalous that OPEC is thinking of meeting in
the next few days to cut oil production so they can push up the price of oil
again and we will certainly try and prevent this happening," British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown said on Oct. 17.
Western leaders have warned that an oil production cut would jeopardize
economies around the world. A report by Standard Chartered Bank said the
Gulf Cooperation Council would be harmed by the global credit crisis.