需求前景堪忧 油价下滑

据路透社7月30日报道，石油价格周四下跌，原因是全球冠状病毒感染病例激增，可能危及燃料需求的复苏，加上此时主要石油生产国正准备提高产量。

截至格林尼治时间09：07，最活跃的布伦特原油10月合约下跌51美分，至每桶43.58美元，跌幅为1.2%。将于周五到期的9月份布伦特原油期货合约下跌56美分，至每桶43.19美元。美国西德克萨斯中质原油期货下跌60美分，至每桶40.67美元，跌幅为1.5%。

美国能源信息署（EIA）公布，原油库存创下去年12月以来最大单周跌幅后，两个基准合约周三均上涨。

PVM石油经纪公司Tamas Varga表示:“最近冠状病毒的再次爆发是一个不祥的信号，表明近期的经济上行空间有限。”

周三，美国死于冠状病毒疫情的人数超过15万人，而巴西的确诊病例和死亡人数也创下了世界第二严重的纪录。周四，澳大利亚的新感染病例创历史新高。

在需求反弹可能受到打击之际，欧佩克及其盟友正准备在8月增加产量，使全球日产量增加约150万桶，对需求反弹造成潜在冲击。

AxiCorp首席全球市场策略师Stephen Innes表示："欧佩克+放宽供应限制，加上美国部分产量回升，可能在未来几周对市场情绪造成影响。"

道达尔和荷兰皇家壳牌公司公布，公司第二季度拥有微薄利润，因为石油交易业务使它们避免遭受疫情导致的需求损失的全面影响。

王佳晶 摘译自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil prices slide as virus surge weighs on demand outlook

Oil prices fell on Thursday, as surging coronavirus infections around the world threatened to jeopardise a recovery in fuel demand just as major oil producers are set to raise output.

The most-active Brent crude contract for October fell 51 cents, or 1.2%, to $43.58 a barrel at 0907 GMT. The September Brent contract, which is expiring on Friday, fell 56 cents to $43.19 a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 60 cents, or 1.5%, at $40.67 a barrel.

Both benchmark contracts rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported the largest one-week fall in crude stocks since December.

“The recent resurgence of the coronavirus is an ominous sign that the upside is limited in the immediate future,” Tamas Varga of oil brokerage PVM said.

Deaths from COVID-19 topped 150,000 in the United States on Wednesday, while Brazil, with the world’s second-worst outbreak, set daily records of confirmed cases and deaths. New infections in Australia hit a record on Thursday.

The potential hit to the demand rebound comes just as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, together known as OPEC+, are set to step up output in August, adding about 1.5 million barrels per day to global supply.

“The easing OPEC+ supply restrictions combined with the return of some U.S. production may test the resilience of market sentiment in the coming weeks,” Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at AxiCorp said.

Total and Royal Dutch Shell reported small profits in the second quarter as their oil trading businesses shielded them from the full force of the pandemic-induced demand loss.