Expectation oil prices could settle within the $60 to $70 range OPEC and its allies have been cutting output since 2017 to help support prices LONDON: Oil market volatility is expected to continue in 2019, but there are expectation prices could settle within the $60 to $70 range — seen as a sweet spot for both producers and consumers. That was the message that emerged from a panel of global energy leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday which also heard that US shale output would likely slow. OPEC and its allies have been cutting output since 2017 to help support prices while US producers looked to ramp up production. The US has overtaken Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s biggest crude producer, with output approaching 12 million barrels per day (bpd). FASTFACTS The US has overtaken Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s biggest crude producer. But while OPEC has in the past underestimated the growth of the US shale industry, the CEOs of energy firms Occidental Petroleum and Hess Corp. on Wednesday stressed that output from the sector would likely slow down. “I believe not as much money will be pouring into the Permian basin this time. I believe investors will hold companies accountable for returns and a lot of this didn’t happen previously,” Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said. Hess Corp. CEO John Hess said shale production now accounted for about 6 percent of global production and would rise to about 10 percent before plateauing. “Shale is not the next Saudi Arabia. It is an important short-cycle component,” he said. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo said OPEC wanted to balance supply and demand in the market and had helped the US oil industry by acting to support prices.