 OPEC Loses a Member, Brent Holds Above $100 — What's Happening in the Energy Market? The UAE has left OPEC. On May 1, the cartel lost its 12th member, and this is not a routine reshuffle — it's a revision of the entire architecture of the global oil market. Key signals from recent days: - US crude oil inventories fell by 8.1 million barrels over the week — the largest decline in recent months. The API confirms: the market is tense. - American oil cannot fill the gap left by the Middle East. US exports are at a record, but the resource is not infinite. For the first time in a long while, the world is facing a situation where the "last supplier" is struggling. - The UAE's exit from OPEC is not about quota disagreements. It's a signal that the monolithic structure of oil price management is cracking. An OPEC of 11 countries is no longer the same organization it once was. - Brent at $103.13. The price remains high, and fundamental factors (supply deficit + geopolitics) currently provide no reason for a reversal. Against this backdrop, it's worth closely monitoring EIA data on commercial inventories and tanker movements from the Persian Gulf. The market is entering a phase where old models stop working. Which of these factors do you consider key for oil in the coming weeks?