全球海上原油储存接近历史最高水平

据世界能源新闻伦敦报道，航运业消息人士称，原油交易商迄今在停泊在海上的油轮上储存了多达8000万桶原油，由于全球库存过剩，陆地油库很快就会被填满，因此他们还在寻找更多的油轮来储存原油。

由于疫情蔓延，全球原油需求锐减三分之一，加上沙特阿拉伯和俄罗斯等主要产油国拒绝限制产量，交易商们纷纷涌入储油库，造成了据信是历史上规模最大的原油供应过剩。上一次达到类似水平是在2009年，当时交易商在出清库存之前在海上储存了1亿多桶原油。

全球共有770多艘超级油轮，每艘最大载油量为200万桶。航运消息人士估计，目前已有25至40艘超级油轮用于海上原油储存。海上储存原油的位置通常包括美国墨西哥湾和新加坡，这两个地区均是全球主要的原油中心。相比之下，2月份全球只有不到10艘超大型油轮储存原油。

原油市场目前存在所谓的期货溢价，即远期价格高于当前价格。这种市场结构鼓励交易商将原油储存起来，希望在未来出售原油中获得利润。

船舶经纪商E.A.吉布森的研究主管理查德?马修斯估计，3月份全球至少有31艘超大型油轮被租出，租期不超过12个月，其中可能包括储存原油选择。马修斯补充说，相比之下，2月份全球仅预订了4艘12个月或更短时间的超大型油轮，很有可能用于储存原油。

油轮日费率日前已飙升至超过23万美元的历史高点，并在3月12日左右达到了20万美元的水平。原油交易商必须为长期租船支付溢价。

全球领先的油轮公司Frontline (FRO)首席执行官罗伯特?哈维德?麦克劳德把这种情况形容为“一代人只有一次”。他在一个数字资本链接论坛上表示：“这一切现在真的开始了——油轮储存原油即将改变这个市场，彻底改变2020年。”

希腊Tsakos能源航运公司 (TNP)首席执行官尼古拉?察科斯补充称，人们对规模较小的阿芙拉级油轮业务也越来越感兴趣。察科斯在论坛上表示，“我们是少数几个经历强劲周期的行业之一，我们看到人们对海上原油储存的兴趣很大。期货溢价是存在的。”

贸易消息人士表示，中东地区重要燃料补给和石油中心的阿联酋富查伊拉地区的储油罐已经达到了它们原油和石油产品的全部储存能力。

经纪商Fearnley Securities在一份报告中表示：“在极端浮式储存经济的支持下，船东们能够以极具吸引力的费率将船舶闲置6至12个月。”“我们不会否决在未来6-12个月内将100-200艘超大型油轮撤出市场的提议。”

欧洲大型油轮运营商Euronav首席执行官雨果?德?斯托普在另一份声明中表示，全球超大型油轮船队将根据费率提供浮式储存原油。

李峻 编译自 世界能源新闻

原文如下：

Oil Storage at Sea Approaching Record Levels

Oil traders are storing as much as 80 million barrels of oil on tankers at sea, with further ships being sought as land storage sites fill up fast due to a global glut of stocks, shipping industry sources say.

Traders rushed for storage after global oil demand collapsed by a third due to the coronavirus outbreak, and as top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have refused to curb output so far, creating what is believed to be the biggest oil glut in history.

The last time floating storage reached similar levels was in 2009, when traders stored over 100 million barrels at sea before offloading stocks.

There are over 770 supertankers in the world - each carrying a maximum of 2 million barrels - and shipping sources estimate that between 25 to 40 are currently being used for floating storage.

Locations typically include the U.S. Gulf and Singapore, where major oil hubs are situated.

This compares with fewer than 10 such vessels - known as very large crude carriers (VLCCs) - in February.

The crude market is currently trading in what is known as contango, where forward prices are higher than immediate prices. This market structure encourages traders to park barrels in storage in the hopes of selling them for a profit later.

Richard Matthews, head of research with ship broker E.A. Gibson, estimated that at least 31 VLCCs had been chartered in March for 12 months or less, with it likely that these included storage options.

This compared with 4 VLCCs booked in February for charters of 12 months or less with likely storage options, Matthews added.

Daily tanker rates have rocketed to record highs of over $230,000 a day this week, and reached the $200,000 a day level around March 12. Traders have to pay a premium for longer term charters.

Robert Hvide MacLeod, chief executive of leading tanker player Frontline (FRO), described the situation as "once in a generation".

"It’s now really kicking off - the storage on ships is about to change this market and change 2020 completely," he told a digital Capital Link forum on Tuesday.

Nikolas Tsakos, chief executive of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TNP) , added that there was also growing interest for the smaller aframax tanker segment.

"We are one of the few industries going through a very strong cycle, we are seeing a lot of interest for storage. The contango is there," he told the forum.

Trade sources said on Wednesday that storage tanks in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, a key bunkering and oil hub in the Middle East, had reached their full capacity for both crude and oil products.

"Owners have been able to put vessels away for 6-12 months at very attractive rates, supported by extreme floating storage economics," broker Fearnley Securities said in a note this week. "We wouldn’t overrule seeing 100-200 VLCCs taken off the market for the next 6-12 months."

Hugo De Stoop, chief executive of major tanker operator Euronav, said separately that the global VLCC fleet would be available for floating storage depending on the rates.