Kazakhstan Defies OPEC+ in Push for Oil Autonomy

Kazakhstan has sparked fresh tensions within OPEC+ by asserting that its oil production strategy will be governed by national interests rather than group quotas, raising questions about future compliance and cohesion within the cartel. Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters on Wednesday that the Central Asian producer, which pumps around 2% of the world’s oil, cannot reduce output at key projects led by foreign majors such as Chevron and ExxonMobil. Megaprojects such as Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak make up 70% of Kazakhstan's…