Saudi Oil Minister Doesn't Know About OPEC Output Rise

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi on Tuesday gave no sign whether OPEC would agree this year's second output rise when it meets next week, but confirmed that the kingdom had boosted production to 9 million barrels per day.

Asked when OPEC would increase supplies to the market, he said: "How do you expect me to know that?"

His coments come after Iran's oil minister said at the weekend that some ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries were advocating an increase in production at the Dec. 5 meeting in Abu Dhabi, although most officials have said that they do not believe the market is short of crude oil.

Oil prices have fallen this week on signs that some in the group may be favouring another supply boost after the Nov. 1 increase of 500,000 bpd failed to tame oil's rally.