印度汽油销售复苏 石油需求出现积极迹象

据彭博社9月17日报道，自3月底印度实施世界上最严格的出行限制以来，印度汽油销量首次出现增长，这对能源需求复苏陷入停滞的全球石油市场来说是一个积极迹象。

据知情的官员提供的初步数据显示，9月上半月，印度三大燃油零售商的销售额增长2.2%，为六个月来首次同比增长。

作为世界第三大石油进口国，印度汽油销量的上升对全球市场来说是一个可喜的进展。全球市场一直在被迫推迟对能源需求何时可能恢复到病毒爆发前水平的预期。不过，印度使用最广泛的石油产品柴油的销量仍较上年同期下降了约6%。

托克表示，疲弱的需求将导致石油再度出现过剩。随着对病毒限制的放松，人们重返工作，使用私人车辆的情况越来越多。为避免疫情传染扩大，政府倡议更多地使用私人车辆，这反映在以汽油为主要燃料的汽车和两轮车的销量上升上。印度8月份汽车销量同比增长14%，而两轮车销量同比增长3%。

印度石油公司(Indian Oil Corp.)董事长维迪亚(Shrikant Madhav Vaidya)表示，有迹象显示需求正在复苏，但疫情的影响可能会持续下去，到今年年底月度消费量可能会小幅回到病毒爆发前的水平。

印度汽油销售环比增长7.1%，柴油销售增长19%。印度石油公司(Indian Oil)、巴拉特石油公司(Bharat Petroleum Corp.)和印度斯坦石油公司(Hindustan Petroleum Corp.)的燃油销售量占印度燃油总销量的90%以上。

王佳晶 摘译自 彭博社

原文如下：

Indian Gasoline Sales Revive in Positive Sign for Oil Demand

Indian gasoline sales rose for the first time since the nation imposed one of the world’s strictest virus lockdowns in late March, a positive sign for global oil markets amid a stalling energy demand recovery.

Sales at India’s three biggest fuel retailers climbed 2.2% in the first half of September, the first year-on-year increase in six months, according to preliminary data from officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

The uptick in gasoline sales in the world’s third-largest oil importer is a welcome development for a global market that’s been forced to push back expectations for when energy demand might get back to pre-virus levels. Indian sales of diesel, the most widely used petroleum product in the country, are still down around 6% from a year earlier, however.

Trafigura Says Weak Demand Pushing Oil Back Into Surplus

An easing of virus restrictions is leading to increased use of personal vehicles as people return to their offices, the officials said, asking not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak to media. India has now relaxed most of its stay-at-home restrictions, despite a continued rise in infections, after the economy contracted by almost a quarter in the three months through June.

Greater use of personal vehicles to avoid the risk of getting infected on public transport has been reflected in rising sales of cars and two-wheelers, which mainly run on gasoline. Car sales in India rose 14% in August from a year earlier, while two-wheeler sales increased by 3%.

Indian Oil Corp. Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya said this week there are signs of a demand recovery, but the pandemic’s impact could linger and monthly consumption may edge back to pre-virus levels by the end of the year.

Gasoline sales rose 7.1% on a month-on-month basis, while diesel sales jumped 19%. Spokespeople at the three retailers -- Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. -- that account for more than 90% of fuel sales couldn’t immediately comment on the provisional data.