美国炼厂调整产品结构以适应需求变化

据烃加工在线8月28日消息，由于新型冠状病毒疫情的大流行以及为减轻疫情所采取的努力，美国对交通燃料的需求自3月中旬以来已经大幅下降。尤其是汽油和航空燃油的需求已经下降到多年来的最低水平。

为了应对这种情况，美国炼油厂减少了它们的业务，以适应石油产品总需求不断变化的水平，并做出了其他改变，导致汽油和航空燃料的产量相应地减少，馏分燃料油的产量则出现增加。从4月份开始，美国炼油商通过减少整体炼油装置开工率水平来应对运输燃料需求的减少。

与2019年全年日均1700万桶的加工量相比，2020年4月美国炼油厂开工率下降了22%，5月份美国炼油厂开工率水平比2019年全年的平均水平下降了21%。以供应产品来衡量，这些降幅在很大程度上类似于这几个月美国成品油需求的总体降幅。因为美国大部分地区在3月底开始采取旅行限制和其他措施，对汽油和航空燃油的需求带来了显著的不利影响,炼油厂被迫改变操作方式,导致少生产汽油和航空燃油，多生产馏分燃料油。

张春晓 摘译自 烃加工在线

原文如下：

Changing demand for petroleum products has led to operational changes at U.S. refineries

Demand for transportation fuels in the United States has fallen since mid-March because of the spread of coronavirus and efforts to mitigate it. Demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel in particular has fallen to its lowest levels in years. In response, U.S. refineries reduced their operations to adjust to changing levels of overall demand for petroleum products and made other changes that resulted in proportionately less production of motor gasoline and jet fuel and more production of distillate fuel oil.

Beginning in April, refiners responded to less demand for transportation fuels by decreasing overall refinery runs. Refinery runs were 22% lower in April 2020 compared with the full year 2019 average of 17.0 million barrels per day (b/d). In May, inputs to distillation units were similar, at 21% lower than the 2019 average. These reductions largely resembled the overall declines in demand for finished petroleum products in those months, as measured by product supplied.

Because demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel was disproportionately affected by travel restrictions and other measures that were in place throughout much of the United States starting in late March, refineries changed operations in ways that resulted in less production of motor gasoline and jet fuel and more production of distillate fuel oil.