Of the many factors impacting the price of oil, the global economic growth outlook and the potential for a more formal agreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia stand out. The prospects of an OPEC-Russia-plus agreement is a very complicated one, fraught with so many geopolitical overtones that the topic deserves a cogent, self-contained analysis. The intent of the idea is what is important: To drive prices upward through managing supply. The countries under consideration would comprise roughly half the global supply for oil. At present, identifiable forces at work deserve more attention – where we