LONDON:  Members of the OPEC group of oil producers and their allies struck a deal Thursday to increase production over coming months, but by less than anticipated in their previous accord.

A statement issued after a video-conference meeting of the countries in the OPEC+ club said that from January 2021 they would raise production by 500,000 barrels per day.

The statement issued on Thursday also said that monthly OPEC+ meetings would be held "starting January 2021 to assess market conditions and decide on further production adjustments for the following month, with further monthly adjustments being no more than" 500,000 bpd.

The video-conference meeting of the OPEC+ grouping was pushed back from Tuesday and came after three days of inconclusive discussions among the 13 members of OPEC proper.

Observers say the postponement pointed to an agreement being harder to reach than initially thought.

Representing Russia, the most important non-OPEC player in the group, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak hailed the agreement as a "very balanced decision" but admitted talks had been "difficult".

Novak told a news conference after the meeting :"We confirmed that two million bpd at some point need to return to the market."

The first wave of the coronavirus pandemic sent oil demand -- and prices -- plummeting in the spring, with the benchmark American contract even going into negative territory for the first time in history.

Despite the second wave of the pandemic dashing hopes of a rapid "V-shaped" recovery for the economy and for oil demand, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdelaziz bin Salman struck a sanguine note after the meeting.

"There are serious lockdowns, but they are not hindering demand as they were in the first wave," he told the post-meeting news conference, adding: "The jury is still out, and we want to be cautious."