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OPEC chief Mohammad Barkindo dies in Nigeria — top oil official

Barkindo held the post of OPEC Secretary General from 2016 and his second tenure was due to expire this month

Mohammad Barkindo REUTERS/Mariya Gordeyeva

Mohammad Barkindo

© REUTERS/Mariya Gordeyeva

PRETORIA, July 6. /TASS/. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo has passed away in Nigeria at age of 63, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Managing Director Mele Kyari announced on his Twitter on Wednesday.

"We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Barkindo. <…> Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, our country Nigeria and the global energy community," Kyari wrote on Twitter.

A native of Nigeria, Barkindo died last night. Information on his funeral will be given later, Kyari added.

The cause of the OPEC chief’s death was not specified.

Shortly before his passing, the OPEC chief spoke at an international energy conference in Nigeria and subsequently met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari who highly appreciated his work as the OPEC secretary general over the past six years.

Barkindo held the post of OPEC Secretary General from 2016 and his second tenure was due to expire this month. Under the OPEC charter, the oil cartel’s chief is elected to a term of three years and can be re-elected only once.

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