全球制裁形勢導致油價跌至4年最低點

The price of oil tumbled to a four-year low after the west’s energy watchdog cut its forecast for oil-demand growth and said that it did not expect Opec to cut supply when it meets next month.

油價跌至四年低點，此前西方國家的能源監督機構下調石油需求增長預測，並稱，預計石油輸出國組織（Opec，簡稱歐佩克）下月開會時不會削減供應。

A glut of crude in the market, partly driven by the US shale boom, combined with weakening oil demand as the global economic outlook darkens has pushed the price of oil to its lowest level since 2010. Brent, the international oil benchmark, which has plunged almost 25 per cent since mid-June, fell $1.65 to $86.58 in afternoon trading .

在美國頁岩能源熱潮的部分帶動下，市場上原油供過於求，加上全球經濟前景惡化導致石油需求變弱，油價下降到2010年以來最低水平。作爲國際原油基準的布倫特原油(Brent)自6月中旬以來暴跌近25%，昨日午後下跌1.65美元，至每桶86.58美元。

Crude’s drop has reverberated across the oil industry, hitting the shares of shale oil explorers in the US and causing jitters in oil-producing countries, such as Russia, that rely heavily on oil revenues to fill government coffers.

原油價格下跌已在整個石油行業引發震盪，不但打擊了美國頁岩油勘探企業的股價，還引起俄羅斯等產油國恐慌，這些國家的國庫嚴重依賴石油收入。

Further falls could endanger investment in deepwater, Arctic and shale reserves that require a high oil price to break even, analysts said. That could potentially crimp future oil supplies.

分析師們表示，油價進一步下跌可能危及企業對深水、北極和頁岩儲量的投資，它們都需要高油價才能達到盈虧平衡。這可能不利於未來的石油供應。

Brent’s slide has prompted some members of Opec, the producers’ club, to call for a cut in output ahead of the group’s next meeting in Vienna next month.

歐佩克將於下月在維也納舉行會議，布倫特原油下滑促使部分成員國在會前呼籲減產。

But Saudi Arabia, Opec’s largest producer, and Kuwait have both played down the prospects of a cut, with Riyadh signaling that it was prepared to accept a period of low prices.

但沙特阿拉伯（歐佩克最大產油國）和科威特都弱化了減產的可能性，沙特發出信號稱，它準備接受一段低價格時期。

In its closely watched monthly oil market report, the International Energy Agency, the oil-consumers’ watchdog, cut its forecast for world oil demand growth this year by 250,000 barrels a day on “reduced expectations of economic growth”. That suggests demand will grow at its slowest pace in five years.

石油消費國監督機構——國際能源署(International Energy Agency)在其備受關注的月度石油市場報告中，將今年的全球石油需求增長預測下調了25萬桶/日，理由是“經濟增長預期下降”。這意味着需求將以5年來最慢速度增長。

Oil consumption has been hit by the worsening outlook for the world economy.

近期石油消費受到世界經濟前景惡化的影響。

Earlier this month the IMF cut its forecast for global economic growth for the third time this year.

本月早些時候，國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)今年第三次下調全球經濟增長預測。

The world’s weakening appetite for oil comes with the market awash with plentiful supplies of crude. Libya’s production has recovered strongly even as the country descends further into chaos, while Iraq’s oil fields have remained insulated from the violence in the north. Meanwhile, US output remains strong, leading to a glut of supply in the Atlantic Basin and the North Sea.

在全球石油需求低迷之際，市場上充斥着原油。利比亞產量已強勁復甦，儘管該國進一步陷入混亂，而伊拉克的油田仍未受該國北方武裝衝突影響。與此同時，美國產出依然強勁，導致大西洋盆地和北海供應過剩。