Here's why Trump's request for OPEC to max-out oil production may backfire

Trump has made clear that he expects OPEC's largest producer, Saudi Arabia, to fill the gap in the market created by his Iran sanctions and stop prices going too high

If OPEC is the central bank of oil, then the Trump administration is commanding it to run the printing presses at full speed.

The US State Department took the unusual step of issuing a statement on Wednesday asking the cartel to boost production by tapping the supply buffer it maintains in case of unexpected disruptions. It even gave a figure for how much more the group could pump -- 1.4 million barrels a day.

If the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries were to fill this request -- and Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Thursday that it could --