NEXT FEW MONTHS CRUCIAL FOR OIL - HERNANDEZ Energy and Mines Minister Arturo Hernandez Grisanti today told a meeting of regional oil exporters the next few months will be critical to efforts to achieve price recovery and stabilize the market. Hernandez said while OPEC and non-OPEC nations have already made some strides in their efforts to strengthen the market, the danger of a reversal is always present. "March and the next two or three months will be a really critical period," Hernandez said. He said, "We will be able to define a movement, either towards market stability and price recovery or, depending on the market, a reversal." Earlier this week, Hernandez said Venezuela's oil price has averaged just above 16 dlrs a barrel for the year to date. If OPEC achieves its stated goal of an 18 dlrs a barrel average price, he said, Venezuela's should move up to 16.50 dlrs. Hernandez spoke today at the opening of the fifth ministerial meeting of the informal group of Latin American and Caribbean oil exporters, formed in 1983. Ministers from member states Ecuador, Mexico, Trinidad-Tobago and Venezuela are attending the two day conference, while Colombia is present for the first time as an observer. Hernandez defined the meeting as an informal exchange of ideas about the oil market. However, the members will also discuss ways to combat proposals for a tax on imported oil currently before the U.S. Congress. Following the opening session, the group of ministers met with President Jaime Lusinchi at Miraflores, the presidential palace. The delegations to the conference are headed by Hernandez of Venezuela, Energy Minister Javier Espinosa of Ecuador, Energy Minister Kelvin Ramnath of Trinidad-Tobago, Jose Luis Alcudiai, assistant energy secretary of Mexico and Energy Minister Guilermno Perry Rubio of Colombia.