The increase, which the group said was a response to “a steady global economic outlook,” was higher than some analysts expected and could lead to lower oil prices.

An eight-nation subset of the oil-producing OPEC+ alliance agreed to lift production by a larger-than-expected 548,000 barrels per day in August. The group comprises heavyweight producers Russia and Saudi Arabia,

Low global oil stockpiles were a major motivating factor in prompting OPEC+ members to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August at the group's meeting on Saturday, the Russian government said in a statement.