BRUSSELS. Sept g The OPEC nations Increased oil pumping slightly last month, showing no signs of curtailing the excess output that has been blamed for slumping crude prices, according to estimates Tuesday, says AP.

The International Energy Agency reported the 12-nation cartel pumped 24.7 million barrels of crude a day In August, about 100.000 barrels a day more than in the previous month.

The average price of basket of crudes monitored by the group was 15.95 dollar a 42 £llon barrel last week, sharply low OPEC's target of 21 dollar .OPEC ministers will meet on Sept 25 In Geneva to plan their output strategy for the final three months of the year.

Subroto, secretary-general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Expecting Countries pegged current production at 24.5 million barrels dally.

The estimates put the producing nations about one million barrels above their cap of 23.6 million barrels a day In the

July-September period. In June, the nations pledged to reduce pumping to give a life to prices.

“No one is cutting back." said Peter Bogin, associate director for oil markets at Cambridge Energy Research Association in Parts.

Gushing OPEC production has largely been blamed for plunging oil prices.

Prices also have been slipping because of market fears that Iraq might soon negotiate a deal with the United Nations to resume selling oil The giant producer has been barred by international sanctions from exporting crude since Its 1990 Invasion of Kuwait.

Traders worry that If Iraq worked out an accord with the United Nations, it would send a flood of crude on the market that would depress prices further.

Subroto. attending an energy conference In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said the group should be able to raise production. The demand will Increase in anticipation of the winter," he said.

He declined to suggest a production celling for the October December quarter.

Demand for OPEC crude normally rises In autumn as customers In the United Slates and Europe buy more otl ahead of the winter heating sea-sonThe energy agency estimated demand for the group s oil at some 25.6 million barrels a day In the fourth quarter.

Demand for otl, though, has been weak this year because of the sluggish economy In the United States and the recession In West European nations. Industrialized nations are heavy consumers of oil.

In Its report, the energy agency said Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, pumped about eight million barrels a day last month, up slightly from July.

Iran. OPEC's N. 2 producer, supplied about 3.7 million barrels a day in August, the report said.

On Monday, the Middle East Economic Survey, an oil industry newsletter, reported Iran's output unexpectedly dropped tn August by nearly 300,000 bar-

rels a day to 3.325 million. It said Iran was a bit below Its quota of 3.34 million barrels daily, the first time all year It has been under its limit.

The weekly publication attributed the decline more to "marketing foul-ups' than to an Iranian decision to abide by tts quota.

The energy agency estimated the United Arab Emirates supplied 2.2 million barrels of oil a day last month and Venezuela produced 2.3 million barrels dally.

Kuwait, rebounding from the Gulf War damage to Its oil Industry, pumped nearly 1.8 million barrels a day.

Nigeria supplied 1.8 million barrels a day last month: Libya. 1.4 million barrels a day. and Indonesia, 1.3 million barrels a day.

Other estimates were: Algeria. 750,000 barrels a day. Quatar. 430,000 barrels a day; Gaon. 300.000 barrels a day.

The encr^ agency Is an arm of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) made up of two-dozen Industrialized.