據4月5日NS Energy報道，當前，全球消費需求空前下降，迫使美國煉油商削減汽油、商用航空燃油和其他精煉產品的產量。

美國能源部(DOE)宣布，考慮立即將戰略石油儲備（SPR）的3000萬桶石油儲備能力提供給美國受市場嚴峻形勢沖擊的石油生產商，并打算之后將再提供4700萬桶的儲存能力。

需求暴跌導致煉油廠的原油需求減少，這加劇了全球石油供應過剩，增加了本已有限的原油存儲的壓力。儲油空間不足正迫使油井過早關閉，并在經濟上損害美國能源行業及其勞動力。SPR已做好準備，通過立即向美國石油生產商提供儲油能力來緩解部分經濟壓力。

化石能源部助理部長史蒂文·溫伯格（Steven Winberg）表示：“SPR將準備每天接收68.5萬桶的石油，預計第一批原油將于4月底或5月初交付，具體取決于生產商的物流情況。SPR在墨西哥灣沿岸擁有廣泛的儲油、管道和海洋基礎設施，將有助于緩解與石油相關的經濟影響。”

鄒勤 摘譯自 NS Energy

原文如下：

US Department of Energy to make strategic petroleum reserve storage capacity available to struggling US oil producers

The unprecedented worldwide reduction in consumer demand caused by COVID-19 has forced U.S. refiners to dial back production of motor gasoline, commercial airline jet fuel, and other refined products.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced asolicitation to immediately make 30 million barrels of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s (SPR’s) oil storage capacity available to U.S. oil producers that are struggling with catastrophic financial losses due to the combined impacts of COVID-19 and the intentional disruption of world oil markets by foreign actors. The Department currently intends to make an additional 47 million barrels of storage capacity available thereafter.

The unprecedented worldwide reduction in consumer demand caused by COVID-19 has forced U.S. refiners to dial back production of motor gasoline, commercial airline jet fuel, and other refined products. This situation has reduced refinery crude oil demand, exacerbated a market glut of globally produced oil, and increased the need for already constrained crude oil storage. A lack of storage is forcing premature shut-in of oil wells and economically hurting the U.S. energy industry and its workforce. The SPR is well-positioned to relieve some of this economic stress by making storage capacity available to U.S. oil producers immediately.

To help alleviate financial hardship to the critical American energy sector, President Trump has directed the Secretary of Energy to fill the SPR to its maximum capacity.

“We expect the first crude oil deliveries to arrive in late-April or early-May depending on producer logistics. The SPR will be ready to receive up to 685,000 barrels per day,” explained Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Steven Winberg. “With its extensive storage, pipeline, and marine infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, the SPR will help relieve oil-related disruptions to our economy.”