OPEC's Oil Problem: Falling Prices Squeeze Producer Budgets

The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects Brent crude to drop from $106 next May to $79 in 2027. For OPEC members like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Venezuela—which need $80+ per barrel just to fund their governments—that spells trouble. A U.S.-Iran ceasefire has removed the geopolitical cushion holding prices up. Without production cuts or policy shifts, these nations face real fiscal strain.