美国库存增加再次引发市场供应担忧

据路透社5月6日报道，随着需求下滑，美国原油库存增长，投资者关注石油供应过剩风险，周三油价下跌，结束了连续多日的涨势。

美国西德克萨斯中质原油(WTI)期货价格下跌2.1%，至每桶24.05美元。格林威治时间02：01，下跌14美分，至每桶24.41美元。WTI已经结束了连续5天的上涨势头。

布伦特原油期货价格保持稳定，为每桶30.97美元。前一个交易日，布伦特原油价格上涨了13.9%，这是六天上涨的一部分。由于布伦特原油合约在过去连续上涨过多，投资者可能不愿增加购买量。

布兰特原油相对强度指数周三收于72.93点，这是一项用于跟踪未来交易势头的技术指标，表明该指数在近期上涨后处于超买状态。

此前美国石油协会周二公布的数据显示，上周美国原油库存增加840万桶，增幅超过预期。随着市场好转，石油生产商在需求紧缩后削减石油供应，石油价格最近有所上涨。但分析师警告称，市场的再平衡过程将是曲折的。

澳大利亚国民银行(National Australia Bank)大宗商品策略主管拉克兰表示:“我们正在谈论供求关系的正常化，但还有很长的路要走。目前，已经出现了很多供应减少的情况，再加上一些需求上升的早期迹象，意味着库存增加的速度正在放缓。当油价开始保持涨势时，生产商将重新启动油井生产。”

美国页岩油生产商Diamondback Energy表示，如果WTI油价维持在每桶30美元以上，将考虑重启钻探计划，这表明生产商不希望长期停产。

API报告称，全球最大的石油生产国和消费国美国的汽油库存下降了220万桶，而路透社的一项调查显示，分析师预计汽油库存将增加4.3万桶，炼油厂原油库存也有所上升。

邹勤 摘译自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil prices fall as rising U.S. inventories reassert supply concerns

Oil prices fell on Wednesday, ending a multi-day streak of gains, as investors focused on oversupply risks after U.S. crude inventories rose more than expected amid a slump in demand caused by restrictions to halt the coronavirus spread.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell as much as 2.1% to $24.05 a barrel and were down 14 cents at $24.41 a barrel at 0201 GMT. WTI has snapped a five-day winning streak.

Brent crude futures were flat at $30.97 a barrel.

Brent prices climbed 13.9% in the previous session, part of a six-day rise. Investors may be hesitant to increase their purchases of Brent as the contract has climbed too much over the past streak.

Brent’s relative strength index, a technical measure used to track the future’s trading momentum, was at 72.93 on Wednesday, indicating it is overbought after the recent gains.

WTI also slipped after a report showed U.S. crude inventories rose 8.4 million barrels last week, more than expected, according to data from the American Petroleum Institute late on Tuesday.

Oil prices had gained recently as European and Asian countries had ended their lockdowns to halt the coronavirus spread and as producers had axed supply after the demand crunch. But analysts cautioned the rebalancing of the market would be choppy.

“We’re talking about normalisation of supply and demand but we’ve got a long way to go,” said Lachlan Shaw, National Australia Bank’s head of commodity strategy.

“There are a lot of supply cuts that have come through. That combined with some early signs of demand lifting has meant the rate of inventory build is slowing.”

But analysts also pointed to comments by U.S. shale producer Diamondback Energy saying it would consider reviving drilling plans if WTI held above $30 a barrel as a sign that producers will not want to shut in production for long.

“When (prices) start to hold on to those gains, there’ll be a point where producers start to reverse those well shut-ins,” Shaw said.

Gasoline stocks in the U.S., the world’s biggest producer and consumer of oil, fell by 2.2 million barrels, API reported, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 43,000 barrel increase, and refinery crude runs rose.