美國石油熱潮吸引沙特考慮美國原油銷售
中國石化新聞網訊 據彭博社新加坡2月22日報道，就連沙特阿拉伯也想加入美國的石油熱潮。
據一位知情人士透露，沙特國家石油公司(state oil firm)在確定這在經濟上不可行之前，曾考慮過在2月份通過美國子公司將美國原油運往亞洲的可能性。
據兩家地區煉油商的官員說，該公司還詢問過潛在的亞洲買家是否對美國供貨感興趣。
事實上本月沙特決定不將貨物運送到世界上最大的石油消費地區，但這并不意味著他們不會再考慮這一問題。
這樣的銷售將是史無前例的，這是中東國家面對美國產量上升時可能采取的策略。
美國的石油供應正威脅著歐佩克及其盟國消除全球供應過剩，并推高油價的努力。
沙特阿拉伯國家石油公司(Saudi Arabian Oil Co.)，即沙特阿美，曾考慮通過總部位于休斯敦的子公司Motiva Enterprises將美國原油航運至亞洲，該公司在得克薩斯州的亞瑟港經營著北美最大的煉油廠，原油日產量超過60萬桶。
相對廉價的美國原油在過去一年里越來越多地流向中國、印度和韓國等主要消費國，并蠶食了沙特等傳統供應商的市場份額。
盡管美國石油在亞洲仍未站穩腳跟，但沙特阿美正試圖利用目前美國頁巖油繁榮帶來的改變全球市場上貨物流動的機遇。
本周，美國基準原油的價格在一年多來首次超過中東標志迪拜。
最近，西德克薩斯中質原油的上升勢頭可能會影響到潛在的墨西哥灣原油運輸。
行業咨詢公司Energy Aspects Ltd.的分析師Nevyn Nah表示:“從目前的水平看，WTI相對于迪拜價格的強勢，并不足以證明美國原油的套利流進入到亞洲。”
紐約WTI交易價格為61.27美元/桶。
自六月以來，價格已經上漲了40%以上。
根據彭博匯編的航運數據顯示，這艘名為“AST Sunshine”的蘇伊士型油輪，暫時試圖將原油從美國運往亞洲，但未能最終完成航程。
該船原定于2月底從美國墨西哥灣沿岸運輸13萬噸原油，運往新加坡和中國寧波。
此次IPO（首次公開募股）是沙特放棄石油經濟計劃的核心。
政府估計此次股份出售可能會使該公司估值達到2萬億美元，盡管分析師們的估計會比較低。
蔡小全 編譯自 彭博社
原文如下：
U.S. oil boom tempts Saudis to consider American crude sale
Even Saudi Arabia wants in on the U.S. oil boom.
The kingdom’s state oil firm considered the possibility of sending American crude to Asia in February via a U.S. unit before determining it wasn’t economically viable, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
It also asked potential buyers in Asia if they would be interested in U.S. supply, according to officials at two regional refiners.
The fact that the Saudis decided against moving a cargo to the world’s biggest oil consuming region this month doesn’t mean they won’t consider it again.
Such a sale would be unprecedented, and a potential strategy by the Middle East nation in the face of rising U.S. production.
American supplies are proving a threat to efforts by the OPEC producer and its allies to clear a global glut and prop up prices.
State-run Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known as Aramco, considered shipping the U.S. crude to Asia via its Houston-based Motiva Enterprises unit, which operates North America’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, with a crude capacity of more than 600,000 bpd.
Relatively cheap U.S. crude has increasingly been making its way to major consuming nations such as China, India and South Korea over the past year and eating into the market share of traditional suppliers like Saudi Arabia.
While American oil is still a fledgling in Asia, Aramco is attempting to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the U.S. shale boom that has transformed the flow of cargoes in the global market.
This week, the price of the benchmark U.S. oil went above the Middle East marker Dubai for the first time in more than a year.
This recent rising strength in West Texas Intermediate may have played a role in scuppering the potential shipment from the Gulf Coast.
“At current levels, the strength in WTI relative to Dubai prices doesn’t justify arbitrage flows of U.S. crude into Asia,” said Nevyn Nah, an analyst at industry consultant Energy Aspects Ltd.
WTI in New York traded at $61.27/bbl.
Prices have risen more than 40% since June.
The Suezmax tanker AST Sunshine, provisionally sought to transport crude from the U.S. to Asia, failed to be finalized for the journey, according to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg.
The vessel was meant to transport 130,000 metric tons of crude loading in late February from the U.S. Gulf Coast, bound for Singapore and Ningbo in China.
The IPO is the centerpiece of the kingdom’s plan to wean its economy off oil.
The government has estimated the share sale could value the company at $2 trillion, though analysts make lower estimates.
