As globally inconsequential as it may seem for countries that produce small amounts of oil to join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) -- in which their production levels are dwarfed by Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia -- the move can significantly amplify the influence of these small nations. On Sept. 27, Ugandan Energy Minister Irene Muloni announced that her country will join the bloc after Uganda starts producing oil commercially in 2020. Equatorial Guinea, another small-scale African producer, joined the bloc earlier this year. Though Uganda currently produces no oil whatsoever, the landlocked African country recently began developing an estimated 6.5 billion barrels in recently discovered oil reserves -- about a quarter of which is recoverable -- and aims to eventually produce as much as 200,000-250,000 barrels per day, although actual production levels are likely to fall short of that target....
