據3月22日Oil Now報道，在美洲裝貨的中型油輪可能會在第二季度運費趨于下降，因為與天氣有關的港口物流中斷，并使原本受新冠肺炎疫情影響的阿芙拉型油輪和蘇伊士型油輪貨運市場的主要看漲因素消失。但普氏公司的一份報告中稱，在全球新冠肺炎疫情環境動蕩的情況下，圭亞那的石油出后量增加會對抗低迷的市場運價。

蘇伊士型船板塊的業務經常會從超級油輪和阿芙拉型船市場轉移，因為中型油輪能夠進行多樣化的航行，對租船人來說，往往比同類船更實惠，這導致蘇伊士型船運費較高成為連鎖反應。

根據普氏的數據，埃克森美孚、66號菲利普斯和默庫里亞在2月和3月會優先選擇蘇伊士型船而非阿芙拉型船。一位蘇伊士型船船東3月17日表示：“蘇伊士型船和巴拿馬型船市場仍然是阿芙拉型船市場的奴隸。”

然而，對于在美洲裝貨的蘇伊士型船來說，并非所有的箭頭都指向下方，因為南美地區（即巴西和圭亞那）的出運量在過去一年中有所上升，并在未來幾天內繼續表現出強勁的勢頭，使運價在進入夏季低迷期時保持穩定。

每月約有三艘蘇伊士型船規模的貨物在圭亞那裝船，這是自2020年10月以來出現的模式。圭亞那蘇伊士型船的裝貨量與在科偉尼亞斯裝貨的四艘貨物形成競爭。

這一趨勢始于2020年，Liza浮式生產儲存和卸載船在投入運營僅一年之后，于2020年12月達到了12萬桶/天的標志性產能。

預計該地區的產量只會進一步增長，因為埃克森美孚目前有第二和第三艘FPSO正在開發中，計劃于2022年和2024年投產。埃克森美孚還表示，計劃到2026年至少有5個FPSO到位，達到每日75萬桶的產能，長期來看可能會有10個之多。

對貨運市場的長期影響尚待確定，因為美國墨西哥灣沿岸仍然是蘇伊士美出口美洲的主要來源。“目前，圭亞那的問題更多的是石油問題，而不是航運問題，我們將拭目以待。”

馮于榮 摘譯自 Oil Now

原文如下：

Guyana oil exports driving Suezmax fortunes

Midsize tankers loading in the Americas could see freight rates taper down in the second quarter, as weather-related port logistic disruptions will decrease to a seasonal low and remove the main bullish factor from the otherwise pandemic-affected Aframax and Suezmax freight markets. But increased trade flows out of Guyana could combat depressed market rates amid the volatile global pandemic environment, S&P Global Platts said in a report.

The Suezmax segment often sees shifts in business from the VLCC and Aframax markets, as the medium-sized tanker is able to make a diverse range of voyages and can often times quickly become more economical for charterers over their counterparts, which has led to firming Suezmax freight as a knock-on effect.

ExxonMobil, Phillips 66 and Mercuria were among several charterers that have preferred Suezmaxes over Aframaxes in February and March.

“The Suezmax and Panamax markets remain a slave to the Aframax market,” a Suezmax shipowner said March 17.

Yet not all arrows are pointing down for Suezmaxes loading in the Americas, as volumes out of South American locations, namely Brazil and Guyana, have ramped up over the past year and continue to show strength into the coming days, keeping rates afloat heading into the summer doldrum months.

This trend began in 2020, as the Liza floating production storage and offloading vessel ramped up to a nameplate capacity of 120,000 b/d in December 2020, after being only a year into operation.

Suezmax loadings of Liza crude entered the market at a time when typical Caribbean loadings have slowed amid US sanctions on Venezuela that were imposed in January 2019, which has left Covenas, Colombia, the only major export port in the region.

Production out of the region is only expected to grow further, as ExxonMobil currently has second and third FPSOs undergoing development that are planned to come online in 2022 and 2024, respectively. ExxonMobil has also stated plans to have at least five FPSOs in place by 2026 to reach a capacity of 750,000 b/d, with the potential to have as many as 10 in the long term.

Long-term impacts to the freight markets are yet to be determined as the US Gulf Coast remains the main source of Suezmax exports out of the Americas.

“The Guyana play is currently more of an oil story than a shipping story as of now, but we will see”.