U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) released the following statement on the announcement that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be cutting an additional one million barrels of oil in daily production. This reduction is in addition to the significant decreases that Saudi Arabia agreed to on April 12 following pressure from Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Sullivan, who in March introduced legislation to remove U.S. troops and weapons systems from the Kingdom. Once all of the reductions are put into effect, Saudi oil production is expected to drop to 7.5 million barrels per day from a high of 12.3 million barrels--the lowest level of production since 2002.
"Over the past few weeks, I have personally pressed the Saudi energy minister to do more beyond the April OPEC agreement, so this is a positive development that indicates the Saudis are ready to do more," said Senator Sullivan. "Still, it's important to remember that the actions Saudi Arabia took to increase production during the pandemic have already wreaked havoc on our energy markets with a loss of jobs for thousands of hard-working Americans and many independent energy companies being forced to close up shop. The cumulative reductions committed to by the Saudis, along with increases in demand, should bring about much-needed stability to energy markets in Alaska and throughout our country as we work toward a full economic recovery. I commend President Trump and his administration for their leadership on this challenge and unwavering support of our energy sector, our incredible workers and their families."