Oil rises to $47 as OPEC prepares production cut

Oil prices rose to above $47 a barrel today in Asia as investors anticipated OPEC will announce a large production cut at its meeting this week.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery was up 92 cents to $47.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Singapore. The contract Friday fell $1.70 to settle at $46.28.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for 40 per cent of global supply, has signaled it plans to announce a substantial reduction of output quotas at its meeting Wednesday in Algeria.

Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari was quoted yesterday on his ministry's web site saying that Iran would push for a production cut of 1.5 to 2 million barrels per day.

Analysts have questioned whether OPEC members will follow through with any announced cut.

"They're talking about a severe cut, but the question is their discipline," said Christoffer Moltke-Leth, head of sales trading at investment firm Saxo Capital Markets in Singapore. "Unless they really surprise the market, this cut may not support the price much."

Oil has jumped from a four-year low earlier this month of $40.50 a barrel on expectations an OPEC output reduction could be the catalyst to stabilise the oil price, which has fallen 65 per cent since July.

Investors largely ignored OPEC's 1.5 million barrels a day output cut in October, focusing instead on a slowing global economy that's hurt crude demand.

More bad macro-economic and company news from the U.S. and Europe over the coming weeks will likely push oil prices lower, Moltke-Leth said.