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.

Oil markets have been jittery since early April, when the producers’ group led by Saudi Arabia stunned traders by accelerating the revival in its output.

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