VOL. XLV

No 3

21-January-2002

OIL PRICES

Latest Budget Oil Price Assumptions Reiterate Downward Trend

The latestround of oil price assumptions from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Syria and Iran demonstrates a considerably more conservative forecasting environment thanearlier projections in other oil producing countries and a continued downwardtrend. In 2001, oil-producing countries had adopted significantly higher oilprice assumptions, generally above the $20/B mark (see Table below). But as oil...