OPEC's secretary general Wednesday brushed aside fears of a repeat of the 2008 oil price spike that contributed to the recession, saying higher spare capacity made producers better prepared to respond to demand.

"We won't see a repetition of 2008," said Abdalla Salem El-Badri in an interview, recalling the period when prices rocketed to a record $147 a barrel and contributed to a global economic recession.

But El-Badri said that compared with 2008, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries now has a much healthier quantity of spare oil capacity that could be tapped if there are further disruptions.

"Even in the absence of Libya [oil output], we still have about 4.5 million barrels a day of spare capacity," he said. That compares with about 2 million barrels a day of spare capacity in 2008.

The statements by the top official in OPEC came one week after the group failed to agree on an output increase last week despite projections of a looming supply gap in the second half of 2011.

"Even though we see a shortage of 1.8 million barrels a day" in the second half of this year, "the spare capacity is there" to address any needs, he said.

"Any customer who will go to any of member countries, ask for more oil, they will get it," the official said.

Saudi Arabia has already pledged to fill any gap and its officials have said it planned to increased output by about 1 million barrels a day this month.

Going forward, El-Badri said demand would ease after the increase in the second half.

"I don't think demand will be as big as the third quarter and fourth quarter in the first half of 2012," he said.

The official said he said he didn't think current oil prices would jeopardize the economic recovery.

"I think the range of $100 will not hurt the economy," El-Badri said. He said the current average of $111 a barrel for Brent crude was reasonable.

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