美国原油价格创1999年以来新低

据能源世界网4月20日新加坡报道，原油期货价格周一下跌，美国原油期货触及1999年以来的最低水平，因疫情影响，需求下滑和人们担心美国储油设施很快将被填满，油价继续下跌。

因石油输出国组织（OPEC）和IEA的大量原油市场疲软报告和严峻的预测使石油市场承压。

由于需求下降，炼油厂减产产量下降，美国西德克萨斯中级原油（WTI）合约的交货点俄克拉荷马州库欣市所持有的石油量正在增加。

格林尼治时间01：42，5月WTI合约价下跌2.62美元，至每桶15.65美元，跌幅14％。 该合约曾一度下跌多达21％，跌至每桶14.47美元的低点，为1999年3月以来的最低水平。

该合约周二到期，交易更加活跃的6月合约下跌1.28美元，至每桶23.75美元，跌幅5.1％。 布伦特原油下跌21美分，跌幅0.8％，至每桶27.87美元。

CMC Markets驻悉尼首席市场策略师迈克尔·麦卡锡(Michael McCarthy)表示，原油价格暴跌反映出美国库欣(Cushing)主要存储设施供过于求，需求大幅下降。

他表示，储存尚未达到极限，但人们担心会达到极限。他补充道，一旦达到极限，生产商将不得不减产。

欧佩克及其盟国如俄罗斯的减产也将从5月开始。该组织已同意减少970万桶/日的产量，以遏制因防止疫情扩散和停止商业活动的命令导致不断增长的供应过剩。

面对全球燃料需求估计下降30%的情况，石油行业一直在迅速减产。沙特阿拉伯官员曾预测，全球石油生产国减产总量可能接近2,000万桶/天，但其中包括美国和加拿大等国的自愿减产，这些国家无法像多数OPEC国家那样简单地开启或关闭产量。

包括雪佛龙、BP和道达尔(在内的许多石油巨头都宣布减产。但经济增长正在放缓，原油现货市场和估计创纪录的1.6亿桶船上石油储备表明，油价将继续下跌。

McCarthy称，仍有人担心每日1,000万桶的减产不足以抵消需求下滑的影响，因此油价前景依然低迷。

根据Evercore ISI分析师詹姆斯·韦斯特（James West）的周日报告，北美勘探和生产公司的预算同比下降了约36％，而国际公司的预算则下降了23％。

郝芬 译自 能源世界网

原文如下：

US oil falls more than 10 per cent to lows not seen since 1999

Crude oil futures fell on Monday, with US futures touching levels not seen since 1999, extending weakness on the back of sliding demand and concerns that US storage facilities will soon fill to the brim amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The oil market has been under pressure due to a spate of reports on weak fuel consumption and grim forecasts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Angency.

The volume of oil held in US at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract, is rising as refiners throttle back activity due to slumping demand.

The front-month May WTI contract was down $2.62, or 14%, to $15.65 a barrel by 0142GMT. At one point, the contract had fallen as much as 21% to hit a low of $14.47 a barrel, the lowest since March 1999.

That contract is expiring on Tuesday, and the June contract , which is becoming more actively traded, fell $1.28, or 5.1%, to $23.75 a barrel. Brent was also weaker, down 21 cents, or 0.8%, to $27.87 a barrel.

The plunge in crude oil prices reflects a glut at the main US storage facilities at Cushing and a big drop in demand, said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.

"It hasn't reach capacity but the fear is that it will," he said, adding that once the maximum capacity is reached, producers will have to cut output.

Production cuts from OPEC and its allies such as Russia will also kick from May. The group has agreed to reduce output by 9.7 million bpd to stem a growing supply glut after stay-at-home orders and business furloughs to curb the COVID-19 pandemic。

The oil industry has been swiftly reducing production in the face of an estimated 30% decline in fuel demand worldwide. Saudi Arabian officials have forecast that total global supply cuts from oil producers could amount to nearly 20 million bpd, but that includes voluntary cuts from nations like the United States and Canada, which cannot simply turn on or off production in the same way as most OPEC nations.

Numerous majors have announced supply reductions, including Chevron Corp, BP plc and Total SA. But economic growth is sagging, and physical crude markets and an estimated record 160 million barrels of oil stored onboard ships suggest prices will keep falling.

"There's still some concern that the 10 million barrels per day cut won't be enough to offset demand destruction so the outlook for oil prices remain subdued," McCarthy said.

North American exploration and production companies have cut their budgets by roughly 36% on a year-over-year basis, according to a Sunday note from James West, analyst at Evercore ISI, while international companies have cut budgets by 23%.