For the past year, oil consuming countries have become increasingly anxious at crude’s resurgence: first to $50 a barrel, then $75 and now to more than $85. And when Vladimir Putin, one of the leaders of the OPEC+ cartel, warned that $100 a barrel was a distinct possibility , the alarm bells really started ringing. Now, as quickening inflation pushes some central banks toward earlier-than-expected interest rate hikes, the U.S. India, Japan and other consuming countries are putting the strongest diplomatic pressure on the cartel in years. Behind closed doors, an intense campaign is being waged to persuade OPEC+ to speed up its output increases, according to multiple diplomats and industry insiders involved in the contacts. The cartel, which meets virtually on Nov. 4 to review policy, is currently boosting output at a rate of 400,000 barrels a day each month. The private efforts come on top of recent […]