OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, often called the OPEC cartel, was formed in 1960 to regulate prices and the supply of oil on the world oil market. In the beginning, the organization comprised of 7 companies which operated in the sphere of oil refinery and the derivatives of its resale. Today 12 member states make up OPEC and between them they account for 80% of the world’s oil reserves and provide around 40% of the total world production; giving the organization monopoly status in this market. However, disagreements between OPECs members do not always allow the cartel to operate smoothly.