Sputnik News- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will hold its 172nd ordinary meeting in Vienna on Thursday, followed by a ministerial meeting with non-cartel countries to agree an extension to oil output cuts.

The JMMC, the joint committee of�ministers from�the cartel and non-OPEC producers, recommended on�Wednesday prolonging the deal by�nine months, while keeping the same level of�production cuts for�the OPEC and eleven major oil producers.

Ministers will also consider extending production cuts for�other periods of�time, including six months and until�the end of�2018. The initial deal expires in�June.

It remains unclear if Iran, Libya and Nigeria will still receive concessions under�the pact should it be extended. They were exempted from�limiting quotas, agreed in�November, as�Iran is increasing production to�pre-sanction levels, Nigeria is struggling to�recover from�crippling militant attacks on�oil facilities and Libya is mired in�a conflict.

While OPEC is unanimously supporting the idea of�extending production cuts to�rebalance the oil market, according to�Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, not all non-cartel countries have made their stance clear.

Thursday's ministerial meeting may also be joined by�several new non-cartel producers, with�Egypt and Turkmenistan speculated to�be interested in�attending. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said earlier three to�five oil exporters were in�talks to�cut their oil production.

The OPEC agreed last fall to�reduce oil output by�1.2 million barrels per day for�the first six months of�2017, with�a daily cartel-wide cap standing at�32.5 million barrels. In turn, eleven non-OPEC producers, including Russia, agreed to�jointly slash their output by�558,000 barrels a day.