Goldman Sachs(US:GS) Goldman Sachs·2025-07-07 15:45Investment Rating - The report maintains a price forecast for Brent crude oil averaging $59 in Q4 2025 and $56 in 2026 despite an increase in OPEC+ production quotas [2][9][18] Core Insights - OPEC+ announced a production increase of 0.55 million barrels per day (mb/d) for August, exceeding both consensus and previous expectations [2][3] - The report anticipates a further increase of 0.55 mb/d for September, completing the return of 2.2 mb/d of cuts and a 0.3 mb/d increase in UAE production [4][6] - The rationale behind these increases includes a steady global economic outlook and resilient demand, as indicated by low oil inventories [3][5] - Compliance with OPEC+ compensation cuts has been stronger than expected, contributing to the revised production assumptions [9][10] - The report highlights that reduced OPEC+ spare capacity is likely to raise long-dated oil prices, estimating a decline in global spare capacity to 2.5-4% of global demand by September 2025 [14][18] Summary by Sections OPEC+ Production Adjustments - OPEC+ has announced a total production increase of 1.92 mb/d, which corresponds to 78% of the total voluntary cuts and the increase in UAE production [3][4] - The expected rise in OPEC+ crude production from March to September is projected to be 1.67 mb/d, reaching 33.2 mb/d by September [6][12] Price Forecast and Market Dynamics - The report keeps the price forecast stable despite the production increases, citing stronger compliance with cuts and potential upside risks to demand forecasts [9][14] - The anticipated increase in global oil demand is projected at 0.6 mb/d in 2025 and 1.0 mb/d in 2026, driven by robust demand from China and global economic activity [14][21] Compliance and Production Realization - The report notes that actual increases in OPEC+ production have been in line with quotas after adjusting for compensation cuts, with a significant portion of the increase attributed to Saudi Arabia [10][13] - The compliance rates among OPEC+ members have varied, with some countries exceeding their required production levels [10][13]