"Our problems with France will be resolved," a senior Iranian oil official said.

But another senior Iranian oil official insisted that the French accord was in the works.

Iraq did not send an oil official to today's meeting, leaving Iran as the group's most powerful price hawk.

Firefighters do not expect help from Iraqi oil officials.

Saudi oil officials say their fields will remain highly productive for decades.

But later in the day, a Venezuelan oil official said there was no such agreement.

Many senior Iraqi oil officials are foreign educated and highly respected within the international oil community.

Saudi oil officials and executives at Aramco declined to make themselves available for interviews.

But many Iraqi oil officials and engineers grumble that the response is too little, too late.

Senior Soviet oil officials said the reason was to cooperate with other producers in limiting production to raise prices.