1st OPEC Conference, Baghdad, September 10 - 14, 1960

OPEC-The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference of September 10-14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five Founding Members were later joined by eight other Members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962); Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971) Ecuador (1973 - 1992); Gabon (1975 - 1994) and Angola (2007).

OPEC Headquarters Vienna, Austria

OPEC is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the stability and prosperity of the petroleum market, as enshrined in the OPEC Statute. OPEC Membership is open to any country which is a substantial net exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the Organization. OPEC has 11 Countries as Members. The OPEC Member Countries (MCs) currently supply more than 40 per cent of the world's oil and they possess about 78 per cent of the world's total proven crude oil reserves. OPEC transferred its headquarters from Geneva, Switzerland, to Vienna, Austria, on 1 September 1965, and moved into the present Secretariat building in 1977.

The OPEC MCs coordinate their oil production policies in order to help stabilize the oil market and to help oil producers achieve a reasonable rate of return on their investments. This policy is also designed to ensure that oil consumers continue to receive stable supplies of oil.

The Ministers of the OPEC MCs responsible for energy and hydrocarbon affairs meet twice a year to review the status of the international oil market and the forecasts for the future in order to agree upon appropriate actions which will promote stability in the oil market.

The MCs also hold other meetings at various levels of interest, including meetings of petroleum and economic experts, country representatives and special purpose bodies such as committees to address environmental affairs.

Decisions about matching oil production to expected demand are taken at the Meeting of the OPEC Conference.

Mr. Mohammed S. Barkindo Acting for the Secretary General

The Secretary General is the legally authorized representative of the Organization and Chief Executive of the Secretariat. In this capacity, he administers the affairs of the Organization in accordance with the directions of the Board of Governors. The Conference appoints the Secretary General for a period of three years, the term of which may be renewed once for the same period. This appointment takes place upon nomination by Member Countries, and after a comparative study of the nominees' qualifications . In the absence of a unanimous decision, the Secretary General is appointed on a rotation basis for a term of two years, without prejudice to the required qualifications.

OPEC's objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.

The 1960s 

These were OPEC's formative years, with the Organization, which had started life as a group of five oil-producing, developing countries, seeking to assert its Member Countries' legitimate rights in an international oil market dominated by the 'Seven Sisters' multinational companies. Activities were generally of a low-profile nature, as OPEC set out its objectives, established its Secretariat, which moved from Geneva to Vienna in 1965, adopted resolutions and engaged in negotiations with the companies. Membership grew to ten during the decade.

The 1970s 

OPEC rose to international prominence during this decade, as its Member Countries took control of their domestic petroleum industries and acquired a major say in the pricing of crude oil on world markets. There were two oil pricing crises, triggered by the Arab oil embargo in 1973 and the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, but fed by fundamental imbalances in the market; both resulted in oil prices rising steeply. The first Summit of OPEC Sovereigns and Heads of State was held in Algiers in March 1975. OPEC acquired its 11th and final current Member, Nigeria, in 1971.

The 1980s 

Prices peaked at the beginning of the decade, before beginning a dramatic decline, which culminated in a collapse in 1986 - the third oil pricing crisis. Prices rallied in the final years of the decade, without approaching the high levels of the early-1980s, as awareness grew of the need for joint action among oil producers if market stability with reasonable prices was to be achieved in the future. Environmental issues began to appear on the international agenda.

The 1990s 

A fourth pricing crisis was averted at the beginning of the decade, on the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, when a sudden steep rise in prices on panic-stricken markets was moderated by output increases from OPEC Members. Prices then remained relatively stable until 1998, when there was a collapse, in the wake of the economic downturn in South-East Asia. Collective action by OPEC and some leading non-OPEC producers brought about a recovery. As the decade ended, there was a spate of mega-mergers among the major international oil companies in an industry that was experiencing major technological advances. For most of the 1990s, the ongoing international climate change negotiations threatened heavy decreases in future oil demand.

Credit: OPEC