Iran dealt a severe blow to Saudi-led efforts to curb oil production and reverse the two-year-old downturn in crude prices by rejecting a Riyadh offer to cap output, sending Brent down more than 3.5 per cent.
伊朗拒絕了沙特的限產(chǎn)提議,這對以沙特為首的國家限制石油產(chǎn)量、扭轉(zhuǎn)油價持續(xù)兩年低迷的努力是一個沉重打擊,布倫特原油價格因此下跌逾3.5%。
Ahead of today’s closely watched oil producers’ meeting, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran’s energy minister, said his country was not willing to freeze output until it had regained more than 4m barrels a day of production, heightening tensions between two of the most powerful producers in the region.
在今日受到密切關(guān)注的產(chǎn)油國會議召開之前,伊朗石油部長比詹•納姆達(dá)爾•贊加內(nèi)(Bijan Namdar Zanganeh)表示,該國在產(chǎn)量恢復(fù)400萬桶/日以上之前不愿凍結(jié)產(chǎn)量,這突顯出中東兩大產(chǎn)油國之間的緊張關(guān)系。
Saudi Arabia signalled it would back a co-ordinated production cut of up to 1m barrels a day to tackle a global glut, but only if Iran froze output at current levels that analysts estimate at 3.6m b/d.
沙特暗示稱,將支持協(xié)作減產(chǎn)至多100萬桶/日以解決全球供應(yīng)過剩問題,但前提是伊朗凍結(jié)當(dāng)前產(chǎn)量水平——分析師們估計(jì)伊朗當(dāng)前日產(chǎn)量為360萬桶。
Riyadh’s offer comes amid an ever gloomier outlook for Saudi finances, with the government racking up a record budget deficit of nearly $100bn. In a drive to find new savings, the government this week announced a 20 per cent cut to both ministers’ salaries and bonuses for public sector employees.
沙特是在財政前景日益黯淡的情況下提出上述建議的。該國政府累積的預(yù)算赤字達(dá)到創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的近1000億美元。沙特政府本周宣布部長薪資和公共部門雇員獎金削減20%,以求找到新的節(jié)省。
Its willingness to freeze output is a shift from its policy since the start of the oil swoon, when it pushed to keep production high to put pressure on rivals who pump crude more expensively.
沙特愿意凍結(jié)產(chǎn)量是自此次油價下跌以來重要的政策轉(zhuǎn)變,當(dāng)時它推動保持產(chǎn)量高企以打擊生產(chǎn)成本較高的競爭對手。
Iran is just emerging from years of western sanctions against its oil industry and Tehran has said it is not interested in capping output until it reaches pre-sanction levels or 13 per cent of Opec’s total. Based on Opec’s current production, 13 per cent translates to about 4.2m b/d, or 600,000 b/d more than Iran currently claims to pump.
伊朗剛剛擺脫西方國家多年來對其石油產(chǎn)業(yè)的制裁,該國政府表示,在石油產(chǎn)量恢復(fù)至制裁前水平或者達(dá)到歐佩克(OPEC)產(chǎn)量總額的13%之前無意限產(chǎn)。按照歐佩克當(dāng)前產(chǎn)量計(jì)算,13%意味著日產(chǎn)量大約為420萬桶,比伊朗當(dāng)前宣稱的日產(chǎn)量高60萬桶。
“At current levels we are not ready to freeze,” Mr Zanganeh said. “It is not on our agenda to reach an agreement in these two days.”
贊加內(nèi)表示:“我們不準(zhǔn)備凍結(jié)當(dāng)前的產(chǎn)量水平。這兩天締結(jié)協(xié)議不在我們的議程上。”
The comments sent oil prices down sharply. Brent crude, which has more than halved since mid-2014, was trading $1.68 lower at $45.67 a barrel.
這些言辭促使油價大幅下跌。自2014年以來下跌逾50%的布倫特原油價格下跌1.68美元,至每桶45.67美元。
Saudi officials said they had not given up hope of a deal today and were still talking to big producers like Russia. They hope for a consensus that could be the basis for a deal later this year.
沙特官員表示,他們不會放棄今日達(dá)成協(xié)議的希望,仍在與俄羅斯等大型產(chǎn)油國談判。他們希望達(dá)成一個共識,為今年晚些時候締結(jié)協(xié)議奠定基礎(chǔ)。