據化工網2月26日消息：英國商業、能源和工業戰略部門(BEIS)的統計數據顯示，英國石油產量在2020年下降了7%，降至三年低點103萬桶/天，而該國自2004年以來首次成為原油和天然氣液體的凈出口國。

產量的大幅下降被業內人士歸因于疫情對海上作業的限制，盡管在運營商開始趕上第三季度的基本活動之前，推遲維護(尤其是在上半年)使生產水平受到支撐。

在總體數據中，原油產量下降8%，為92.9萬桶/天，其余9.6萬桶為天然氣凝析油。第三季度產量急劇下降，同比下降12％，第四季度有所回升。

在某些情況下，石油生產商可能會因油價暴跌而減少產量，而美國生產商阿帕奇就因此而減產。

英國石油產量上一次下降是在2017年，當時達到100萬桶/天，在過去五年里，英國石油產量一直處于復蘇趨勢。

BEIS指出，去年國內石油消費量的急劇下降大幅降低了英國煉油廠的吞吐量，盡管價格下跌也導致煉油商青睞國內生產的原油。

報告稱：“原油進口達到創紀錄的低點，較2019年下降18％，原因是煉油廠根據需求減緩了產量，而市場暴跌也有利于本國收入。” “盡管出口也有所下降，但仍超過進口，使英國自2004年以來首次成為初級油的凈出口國。由于煉油廠在油價較低時青睞原油，因此，成品油的進口下降了一半以上。”

英國約占西歐石油產量的三分之一，挪威的產量是該水平的兩倍，由于巨大的Johan Sverdrup油田于2019年投產，且目前處于上升趨勢。該地區是布倫特基準原油的原產地，該基準原油在世界各地的石油貿易中使用。

馮娟 摘譯自 化工網

原文如下：

UK DATA: Upstream oil output plunges 7% to three-year low in 2020

UK oil production dropped 7% to a three-year low of 1.03 million b/d in 2020, while the country was a net exporter of crude and natural gas liquids for the first time since 2004, statistics from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, or BEIS, showed on Feb. 25.

The sharp drop in output has been attributed by the industry to restrictions on offshore activity due to COVID-19, although postponement of maintenance particularly in the first half may have supported production levels, before operators moved to catch up on essential activity in the third quarter.

Within the overall figure, crude oil production was down 8% at 929,000 b/d, with the remaining 96,000 b/d being NGLs. Output plunged particularly steeply in the third quarter, down 12% on the year, before picking up in the fourth quarter.

In some cases, production may have been reduced in response to the plunge in the oil prices operators could hope to attract, with US producer Apache saying it held back production for this reason.

UK oil output was last lower in 2017, when it hit 1 million b/d, having mostly been on a recovery trend over the last half-decade.

BEIS noted last year's steep drop in domestic oil consumption sharply reduced throughput at UK refineries, although the drop in prices also caused refiners to favor domestically produced crude.

"Imports of crude reached record lows, down 18% on 2019, as refiners slowed production in line with demand and plummeting markets favored indigenous receipts," it said. "Whilst exports were also down, these exceeded imports, making the UK a net exporter of primary oils for the first time since 2004. Imports of process oils fell by more than half as refiners favored crude while prices were low."

The UK accounts for about a third of the oil produced in Western Europe, with Norway producing double the level, and currently on an upward trend thanks to the giant Johan Sverdrup field, which came on stream in 2019. The region is home to Brent benchmark, used in the oil trade around the world.