Six months after OPEC left its high-production policy in place, some of the cartel members who called loudest for output cuts are feeling the most pain. Inflation is soaring and currencies have plummeted in lesser petro states, as top exporter Saudi Arabia continues to dictate policy.



While Riyadh tries to embark on a new path toward economic diversification under its influential deputy crown prince, those other OPEC states are seeing fragile gains slip away and threats to stability creep in.

For the moment, relief is elusive.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is not expected to cut production at its meeting Thursday. Nor is it likely that members will agree to freeze production, an idea that failed at an April meeting after the Saudis balked at capping output without participation from Iran.