據路透社9月23日報道，美國原油庫存意外增加，加上全球冠狀病毒病例增多，引發市場對需求停滯的擔憂，受此打壓，周三油價跌破每桶42美元。

美國石油學會(American Petroleum Institute)表示，上周，原油庫存增加了69.1萬桶，而不是像分析師預測的那樣下降。美國能源信息署(Energy Information Administration)的官方庫存數據將于格林尼治標準時間14：30公布。

經紀商OANDA分析師杰弗里?哈雷(Jeffrey Halley)表示:“市場情緒仍然脆弱。預計庫存將減少230萬桶。如果油價意外上漲，很可能引發原油價格再次下跌。”

格林尼治標準時間08：18，布倫特原油價格下跌1美分，至每桶41.71美元，較之前1.2%的跌幅有所回落。美國西德克薩斯中質原油期貨持平于每桶39.80美元。這兩種合約周一均下跌逾4%，但周二有所上漲。

經紀商PVM的斯蒂芬?布倫諾克(Stephen Brennock)表示:“昨日的積極基調讓石油市場緩了一口氣。最近，由于新冠肺炎疫情日益加劇，需求前景受到了沉重打擊。”

由于疫情導致原油需求銳減，今年油價暴跌，布倫特原油價格在4月份跌至每桶16美元以下，為21年來的最低點。歐佩克+創紀錄的減產幫助油價回升。

王佳晶 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil weakens after unexpected U.S. crude inventory rise

Oil edged lower on Wednesday trading below $42 a barrel, pressured by a report that U.S. crude inventories unexpectedly rose and as growing numbers of coronavirus cases around the world raised concern of stalling demand.

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said crude inventories rose by 691,000 barrels rather than falling as analysts forecast. Official inventory numbers from the Energy Information Administration are due at 1430 GMT.

“Sentiment remains fragile,” said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at broker OANDA. “Inventories are expected to fall by 2.3 million barrels. A surprise increase could well be enough to initiate another downward leg in crude prices.”

Brent crude LCOc1 fell 1 cent to $41.71 a barrel by 0818 GMT, paring an earlier 1.2% drop. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was unchanged at $39.80. Both contracts fell more than 4% on Monday, though they rose on Tuesday.

“Yesterday’s positive tone is pausing for breath,” said Stephen Brennock of broker PVM. “The outlook has taken a big knock of late amid the intensifying COVID pandemic.”

Surging infections in countries including India, France and Spain and new restrictions in Britain have renewed worries about demand, just as more supply may come onto the market from Libya. In the United States, the death toll from COVID-19 has passed 200,000, the world’s highest.