Saudi Arabia might quadruple its oil production.

A Western official, who asked not to be identified, told reporters during a meeting of the International Energy Agency that the Saudis are prepared to increase production to as much as 9 million barrels a day from about 2 million barrels currently unless other members of OPEC agree to renounce cheating on the group’s price and production quotas. If the Saudis make good on the threat, it will probably trigger a price war that will send oil prices plummeting. The threat, said to be relayed by the Saudi oil minister to several governments after OPEC’s inconclusive meeting last weekend, was more severe than an earlier warning last month.