Kazakhstan's public defiance of the OPEC+ oil production alliance could signal its exit from the group and push Saudi Arabia into a painful price war at a precarious moment.

Kazakhstan has sparked fresh tensions within OPEC+ by asserting that its oil production strategy will be governed by national interests rather than group quotas

Kazakhstan’s newly appointed Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov, in comments made to Reuters on April 24, signalled that Kazakhstan may not adhere to the OPEC+ group’s agreed output restrictions, as the country is set on prioritising its own national interests over those of OPEC+ when deciding on oil output levels.