Qatar, OPEC member since 1961, says it’s time to split
Just three days before the opening of its 175th “Ordinary Meeting” in Vienna, OPEC appears to be splintering. Even as the group works toward a second production cut, Qatar announced it will leave the cartel in January.

Qatar joined OPEC in 1961, only one year after the cartel was formed. It was the first member country to join the original founding members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

While several countries have joined and then left OPEC, with Ecuador and Gabon even later returning to the group, the first members have remained a part of the cartel through many significant disruptions. For example, Iran and Iraq stayed in the group despite being at war for muc...

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