Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi urged global energy executives to “stick together” through the worst industry slump in decades, saying he was confident that growing support for a deal to freeze output would ease a global glut. After a speech that broadly restated the rationale behind Saudi Arabia’s decision to maintain output in the face of tumbling prices, Naimi told the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston that he expected “most countries” to sign onto the provisional supply pact, perhaps at a meeting in March. The agreement, announced after a surprise meeting between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar a week ago, is “the beginning of a process”, he said, echoing similar comments from other Gulf officials over the past week. […]