Kuwait to raise oil output by 85,000 bpd: minister

RIYADH: Kuwait will raise oil output by 85,000 barrels per day (bpd)starting on Sunday, part of an agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to increase production by one million bpd, Energy Minister Bakhit al-Rashidi told a local newspaper on Saturday.

"Kuwait will raise its oil production from tomorrow to 2.785 million barrels, a daily increase of 85,000 compared to May, based on last week's production cut agreement," Rashidi told Arabic-language daily Al-Rai.

OPEC agreed with Russia and other oil-producing allies this month to raise output from July by about 1 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia plans to pump up to 11 million bpd in July, and Russia has said it could increase output by more than 200,000 bpd.

Oil prices hit $80 a barrel this year for the first time since 2014, prompting consumers like the United States to raise concerns.

The output increases come as the United States has urged some OPEC members to raise output to compensate for supply losses caused by renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Saturday that Saudi Arabia's King Salman had agreed to his request to increase oil production "maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels" to offset production from Iran and Venezuela.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.