ImageAn oil field in eastern Siberia. Russia is the second-largest oil exporter in OPEC Plus, but analysts questioned its ability to increase production in the short term.Credit…Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
Officials from OPEC, Russia and other oil producers are expected to agree to continue their program of gradual monthly output increases when they meet by teleconference on Tuesday, but there are growing doubts about whether they can deliver on the additional barrels.
A persistent failure to step up production by the amounts agreed on in July is helping to keep oil prices relatively high even though a surge in coronavirus cases from the Omicron variant threatens to dampen economic activity and oil demand.
The slow ramp up in production also could lead to tension with the Biden administration, which wants the producers to pump more oil in an effort to lower gasoline prices in the United States. Gas prices, nationally at $3.28 a gallon,…
