OPEC Oil Producer Group Membership Timeline
Sources told Reuters on Thursday that Iraq had considered leaving the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) if it's?oil output quota was not increased. This comes weeks after the United Arab Emirates left the organization.
Since late 2016, OPEC and Russia have worked together to manage the oil market through quotas. The group as a whole is called OPEC+.
OPEC+ produced about half of all oil in the world before the Iran War. However, the Gulf countries have been forced to reduce production as a result of the conflict, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Iran Iraq and Venezuela created OPEC at the Baghdad Conference, in September 1960.
In the decade following, its?membership increased with the addition of Qatar (1961), Indonesian (1962), Libyan (1962), UAE (1997), Algeria (1969), Nigerian (1971), and Ecuador (1973).
The following timeline charts OPEC's fluctuating members:
June 25, 2026: Iraq? Iraq is considering leaving OPEC if they do not grant it a higher production quota. Sources told? that it plans to stay in the group and push for an increase.
Iraq's exit from OPEC would be a major blow, as it was a founding member of the group and the second largest producer before the Iran War. Iraq's Oil Ministry said reports that Baghdad might consider ending its membership were not representative of the official government position.
As the Iran War disrupts Iraq's crude oil exports, this threat comes at a time of financial strain.
May 1, 2026 - UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on April 28 that it would be leaving OPEC, effective May 1, 2026. This was a major blow for the group. The UAE, despite suspending participation in production quotas on May 1, remains a member of OPEC for the remainder of calendar year. Officials have also attended meetings of the group since the announcement.
January 1, 2024 :?Angola
Angola has left OPEC following a disagreement over its OPEC+ production quota.
January 1, ?2020: Ecuador
Ecuador left due to fiscal problems and a desire to increase its production. The country had suspended its membership in December 1992, and returned in October 2007.
Qatar on January 1, 2019.
Qatar announced that it had quit OPEC in order to concentrate on natural gas.
2016: Indonesia
Indonesia suspended its membership at the beginning of 2009, then reactivated in January 2016 before suspending again in November 2016. (Reporting and editing by Alex Lawler, Alexander Smith and Ahmad Ghaddar)
(source: Reuters)
