Opec unlikely to change policy: Al Attiyah

Qatar Oil Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah said on Tuesday he does not expect Opec to make any changes in its production output quotas when the group meets in October.

"I don't think there will be any change," he told Reuters ahead of a reception in Tokyo. "So far, I think Opec will roll over."

Asked whether he was worried about global economic weakness and its impact on oil prices, he said he hoped the world economy would recover further in the coming months.

He added that it was difficult to predict global economic growth for next year and whether there would be any need to increase oil output to meet rising demand.

He also said that an oil price of $70 to $80 a barrel was "very comfortable" for consumers.

"We are not interfering with the market," he said. "At the end of the day, it's the market forces."

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meets in Vienna on October 14. Libya, Iraq, Ecuador and Kuwait have all said they see no need for a change in policy.

Qatar is one of the smallest producers in Opec.

The cartel has kept its output targets unchanged for almost two years, although it has boosted supply informally since 2009 as oil prices have largely traded in the $70 to $80 a barrel range seen by some members as acceptable.

Al-Attiyah also said he expected Qatargas to start loading liquefied natural gas (LNG) from two new facilities in December, helping Qatar to reach a milestone of 77 million tonnes per year of export capacity.

He dismissed suggestions that Qatar and Russia might work together to coordinate supplies of LNG to Europe and the world, given potential supply concerns due to expanding production and sluggish economies.

"We believe in the market," he said.

"I think all of our collaboration with Russia is very good. We collaborate with consumers and producers at the same time and we exchange information," he added.

Although Russia is a non-Opec country, it is a member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which Attiyah chairs.