據原油新聞2020年5月15日休斯敦報道，自今年第一季度以來，由于疫情影響繼續波及整個行業，美國最大的原油出口中心科珀斯克里斯蒂港的原油出口量下降了35%，原油出口量今年夏天預計還會進一步下降。

盡管原油價格因全球石油需求崩潰而跌至創紀錄低點，但在這段時間內，位于美國德克薩斯州的科珀斯克里斯蒂港和墨西哥灣沿岸大部分地區的活動水平仍受到了先存的合同和對沖油價的提振。但科珀斯克里斯蒂港首席執行官肖恩?斯特朗布里奇表示，盡管其中很多交易正在進行，但需求的大幅下滑正變得越來越明顯。

斯特朗布里奇說：“我們確實看到了原油出口量的下降。原油和成品油價格均比第一季度的歷史高點大幅下跌。原油出口量下降將持續到6月份，甚至可能整個夏天。”

他說，科珀斯克里斯蒂港的原油平均日出口量從第一季度的170萬桶的創紀錄高位降到了上周的110萬桶左右。斯特朗布里奇預計，這種需求低迷未來幾周將進一步加劇。

根據美國能源信息署(EIA)公布的統計數據，截至5月8日的一周，美國原油平均日出口量為353萬桶。統計數據顯示，在截至5月15日的一周內，美國原油日出口量攀升到了406萬桶。數據分析公司Analytics的統計數據顯示，過去兩周，來自科珀斯克里斯蒂港和英格爾塞德港的平均原油日出口量約為100萬桶。

美國生產商正在關閉生產，并在國內外長期儲存更多原油。由于全球石油需求在4月份下降了30%，即便套利交易仍在進行，原油出口預計最終也會受到影響。

計算結果顯示，對休斯頓的WTI原油而言，進入東北亞的套利機會仍然存在，其定價優勢約為每桶4.15美元，高于俄羅斯的ESPO原油。

李峻 編譯自 原油新聞

原文如下：

Port of Corpus Christi sees crude exports plunge 35% and counting

Crude oil shipments from the United States' top oil-exporting hub have plunged 35% since the first quarter with more declines expected this summer as the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic continue to ripple throughout the industry.

Activity levels at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas and throughout much of the Gulf Coast were buoyed for a while by preexisting contracts and hedged oil prices even as crude prices fell to record lows from the collapse in global oil demand. But a lot of those deals are now rolling off, and the stark dip in demand is becoming more clear, said port CEO Sean Strawbridge.

"We've certainly seen a drop. Both crude and refined products are down significantly from their first-quarter record highs," Strawbridge said. "It will continue in June and perhaps even through the summer."

Crude exports from the Port of Corpus Christi fell from a record-high average of 1.7 million b/d in the first quarter down to about 1.1 million b/d last week, he said, and Strawbridge expects the swoon to deepen a bit more in the weeks ahead.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, US crude exports the week ending May 8 averaged 3.53 million b/d.Analytics data shows US crude exports climbing to 4.06 million b/d for the week ending Friday. Exports from Corpus Christi and Ingleside, which the Port includes in its calculations, have averaged at roughly 1 million b/d over the past two weeks, Analytics data shows.

US producers are shutting in production and storing more crude longer term both on and offshore. With global oil demand having plunged by as much as 30% in April, crude exports were expected to eventually feel an impact, even as the arbitrage remains open.

The arbitrage into northeast Asia is still open for WTI crude at Houston, with a pricing advantage of about $4.15/b over Russian ESPO crude, Analytics calculations show.