據能源世界網4月20日新加坡報道，原油期貨價格周一下跌，美國原油期貨觸及1999年以來的最低水平，因疫情影響，需求下滑和人們擔心美國儲油設施很快將被填滿，油價繼續下跌。

因石油輸出國組織（OPEC）和IEA的大量原油市場疲軟報告和嚴峻的預測使石油市場承壓。

由于需求下降，煉油廠減產產量下降，美國西德克薩斯中級原油（WTI）合約的交貨點俄克拉荷馬州庫欣市所持有的石油量正在增加。

格林尼治時間01：42，5月WTI合約價下跌2.62美元，至每桶15.65美元，跌幅14％。 該合約曾一度下跌多達21％，跌至每桶14.47美元的低點，為1999年3月以來的最低水平。

該合約周二到期，交易更加活躍的6月合約下跌1.28美元，至每桶23.75美元，跌幅5.1％。 布倫特原油下跌21美分，跌幅0.8％，至每桶27.87美元。

CMC Markets駐悉尼首席市場策略師邁克爾·麥卡錫(Michael McCarthy)表示，原油價格暴跌反映出美國庫欣(Cushing)主要存儲設施供過于求，需求大幅下降。

他表示，儲存尚未達到極限，但人們擔心會達到極限。他補充道，一旦達到極限，生產商將不得不減產。

歐佩克及其盟國如俄羅斯的減產也將從5月開始。該組織已同意減少970萬桶/日的產量，以遏制因防止疫情擴散和停止商業活動的命令導致不斷增長的供應過剩。

面對全球燃料需求估計下降30%的情況，石油行業一直在迅速減產。沙特阿拉伯官員曾預測，全球石油生產國減產總量可能接近2,000萬桶/天，但其中包括美國和加拿大等國的自愿減產，這些國家無法像多數OPEC國家那樣簡單地開啟或關閉產量。

包括雪佛龍、BP和道達爾(在內的許多石油巨頭都宣布減產。但經濟增長正在放緩，原油現貨市場和估計創紀錄的1.6億桶船上石油儲備表明，油價將繼續下跌。

McCarthy稱，仍有人擔心每日1,000萬桶的減產不足以抵消需求下滑的影響，因此油價前景依然低迷。

根據Evercore ISI分析師詹姆斯·韋斯特（James West）的周日報告，北美勘探和生產公司的預算同比下降了約36％，而國際公司的預算則下降了23％。

郝芬 譯自 能源世界網

原文如下：

US oil falls more than 10 per cent to lows not seen since 1999

Crude oil futures fell on Monday, with US futures touching levels not seen since 1999, extending weakness on the back of sliding demand and concerns that US storage facilities will soon fill to the brim amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The oil market has been under pressure due to a spate of reports on weak fuel consumption and grim forecasts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Angency.

The volume of oil held in US at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract, is rising as refiners throttle back activity due to slumping demand.

The front-month May WTI contract was down $2.62, or 14%, to $15.65 a barrel by 0142GMT. At one point, the contract had fallen as much as 21% to hit a low of $14.47 a barrel, the lowest since March 1999.

That contract is expiring on Tuesday, and the June contract , which is becoming more actively traded, fell $1.28, or 5.1%, to $23.75 a barrel. Brent was also weaker, down 21 cents, or 0.8%, to $27.87 a barrel.

The plunge in crude oil prices reflects a glut at the main US storage facilities at Cushing and a big drop in demand, said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.

"It hasn't reach capacity but the fear is that it will," he said, adding that once the maximum capacity is reached, producers will have to cut output.

Production cuts from OPEC and its allies such as Russia will also kick from May. The group has agreed to reduce output by 9.7 million bpd to stem a growing supply glut after stay-at-home orders and business furloughs to curb the COVID-19 pandemic。

The oil industry has been swiftly reducing production in the face of an estimated 30% decline in fuel demand worldwide. Saudi Arabian officials have forecast that total global supply cuts from oil producers could amount to nearly 20 million bpd, but that includes voluntary cuts from nations like the United States and Canada, which cannot simply turn on or off production in the same way as most OPEC nations.

Numerous majors have announced supply reductions, including Chevron Corp, BP plc and Total SA. But economic growth is sagging, and physical crude markets and an estimated record 160 million barrels of oil stored onboard ships suggest prices will keep falling.

"There's still some concern that the 10 million barrels per day cut won't be enough to offset demand destruction so the outlook for oil prices remain subdued," McCarthy said.

North American exploration and production companies have cut their budgets by roughly 36% on a year-over-year basis, according to a Sunday note from James West, analyst at Evercore ISI, while international companies have cut budgets by 23%.