Washington (Platts)--24Oct2008

The US White House Friday criticized OPEC's move to cut its crude output
by 1.5 million b/d from November, calling it an "anti-market" decision.

"It has always been our view that the value of commodities, including
oil, should be determined in the open, competitive market and not by these
kind of anti-market production decisions," said Tony Fratto, A White House
spokesman.

OPEC decided to cut production at its meeting in Vienna earlier Friday to
stem the recent sharp falls in world oil prices.

The move has already attracted criticism from the West's energy watchdog,
the International Energy Agency, which said the supply cut could worsen global
economic problems.