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OPEC member states get visit from US Energy Secretary
Published on February 18, 2010 by oilprices · No CommentsUS Energy Secretary Steven Chu, will travel to the Middle East next week to meet top OPEC member country officials from several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
Chu’s visit will come just three weeks before OPEC’s March 17th meeting in Vienna where the major producers will review oil market conditions and consider whether to change OPEC oil output levels.
The trip will provide a rare opportunity for the US administration to relay in person to OPEC officials the US position on the group’s production as fuel demand increases this year with a recovery in the global economy.
Chu will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to David Sandalow, Assistant Energy Secretary for Policy and International Affairs. Sandalow told reporters that Chu will hold “a series of private meetings and public events” during his visit but declined to give further details.
Since coming into office, Chu, , known more for his love of green energy than fossil fuels and a Nobel prize laureate, has downplayed the importance of OPEC and fossil fuels like oil. Instead, he has promoted energy efficiency, the need to fight climate change and the development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.