Citigroup analysts expect Brent crude, the global benchmark, to slump to $74 per barrel in the third quarter after averaging around $86 per barrel this quarter, according to an Opisnet report. The downward pressure on crude oil could persist after a Russian government official signaled that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) could trim their production cuts during the cartel's meeting in June, adding to global supply, the report showed.