美國石油產量增至47年新高

US oil production has returned to a peak last seen in the heyday of the Texas oil boom 47 years ago, as the shale revolution that was temporarily set back by low crude prices has reignited.

美國石油產量已回升至47年前得克薩斯州石油熱潮鼎盛時期的峯值水平。前一段時間因油價低迷而暫時受挫的頁岩革命再度點燃。

The government’s Energy Information Administration estimated yesterday that US output was running at just under 10.04m barrels a day last November, fractionally below the previous record set in November 1970.

官方的美國能源情報署(Energy Information Administration)昨日估計，去年11月美國石油日產量逼近1004萬桶，僅略低於1970年11月創下的紀錄。

Soaring output from shale wells has put the US on course to overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s largest crude producer, shaking up oil markets and the geopolitics of energy.

頁岩油產量飆升，使美國有望超越沙特阿拉伯和俄羅斯、成爲世界最大的原油生產國，這將撼動石油市場和能源地緣政治。

The spike in US production over the past decade is a remarkable reversal for a country that for decades was the biggest importer of crude and appeared to be heading for a future reliant on foreign supplies. But the new surge puts US output at more than double its low point of about 5m b/d in 2008.

過去10年來美國石油產量飆升，對於這個幾十年來一直是最大的原油進口國、似乎正在走向依賴外國供應的國家是一個顯著的逆轉。但新的大幅增產使美國的產量達到2008年低點（日均約500萬桶）的兩倍多。

The new crude supply released by the shale oil boom has helped to hold down prices, benefiting consumers worldwide. It has boosted the US economy, creating tens of thousands of jobs, bolstered its energy security, created new international relationships, and given Washington new freedom to use sanctions as a tool for strategic influence.

頁岩油熱潮釋放的新原油供應已幫助壓低價格，使世界各地的消費者受益。它提振了美國經濟，創造了數以萬計的就業崗位，提升了美國的能源安全，建立了新的國際關係，並在把制裁當作戰略影響力的工具方面賦予了華盛頓新的自由。

“For decades the only question was how fast are US oil imports going to rise,” said Daniel Yergin, vice-chairman of IHS Markit. “Now global oil markets have been put in a bottle and shaken up, and new patterns are emerging.”

“曾經有幾十年時間，唯一的問題是美國石油進口量增長的速度會有多快，”IHS Markit副董事長丹尼爾?耶金(Daniel Yergin)表示。“現在全球石油市場就像被放進一個瓶子裏用力搖動，新的格局正在浮現。”