global energy market

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 1997 file photo, Khaled al-Otaiby, an official of the Saudi oil company Aramco, watches progress at a rig at the al-Howta oil field near Howta, Saudi Arabia. According to an assessment published Monday, April 1, 2019, by Moody’s Investors Services, the net profits of Saudi Aramco reached $111 billion last year. That places Aramco ahead of some of the world’s most profitable firms. In their first-ever grade assessment for Aramco, Fitch Ratings issued the firm an A+ rating, while Moody’s gave it it’s A1 rating ahead of its upcoming bonds sale. (AP Photo/John Moore, File)

OPEC, Russia agree to drop oil prices to wipe out competition

International oil cartel OPEC and its allies said they may drop crude prices again in response to an unfriendly stance by the Biden administration and attempts by Iran to reenter the market.