美國原油價格跌至44美元線下

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil fell below $44 a barrel for the first time since April 2009 on Thursday while benchmark Brent sharply pared early gains after data showing additions to already record-high U.S. oil inventories.

紐約（路透社） - 週四，數據顯示已達歷史最高位的美國原油庫存量進一步增加，呈現上升趨勢的布倫特原油股票價格大幅下挫，而美國原油價格自2009年4月以來首次跌至44美元線下。布倫特原油：北大西洋原油的標準制品，通過貨船運輸。WTI（西德州輕質原油）是北美地區通用標準原油製品，通過管道運輸。

Oil prices had risen broadly earlier in the session after preliminary U.S. weekly jobless claims data hit a nearly 15-year low, indicating further strength in the world's largest economy.

美國早先公佈的每週失業人數接近十五年來的最低位，體現了美國作爲全球最大經濟體的增長潛力，也使得原油價格普遍上揚。

But crude futures in New York were near a six-year low by midmorning after a report from oil services firm Genscape, which a market source said showed fresh builds of 1.6 million barrels at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude in the period of Jan. 23 through Jan. 27.

但石油服務公司 - 信息斯蓋普發佈的一份報告顯示：1月23日至1月27日之間，俄克拉荷馬州石油交割點庫辛地區的新增原油存貨達到160萬桶，使紐約原油期貨價格在上午十時逼近六年來的最低點。

Inventories of U.S. crude were already at record highs for the week ended Jan. 23, according to government data issued on Wednesday. Last week's build alone was almost 9 million barrels, taking stockpiles to nearly 407 million, the highest level since the government began keeping such records in 1982.

根據政府週三公佈的數據顯示，美國原油庫存量在1月23日已經達到歷史最高位。僅上週一週的存貨量就接近900萬桶，使原油儲備總量接近四億七百萬桶，是1982年來的最高位。

"There are absolutely very few reasons to buy crude oil now and the only path I see from here is lower," said James Williams, energy economist at WTRG Economics in London, Arkansas.

詹姆斯﹒威廉姆斯是阿肯色州倫敦WTRG經濟公司的能源經濟學家，他表示：“現在絕對不是買原油的好時機，我認爲原油價格只可能進一步下降。”

U.S. crude futures' Front-month contract was down 64 cents at $43.81 a barrel by 11:29 a.m. ET (1629 GMT), after falling to $43.58 earlier.

上午11:29，美國原油期貨的近期交割合同價已經下跌了64美分，爲43.81美元一桶。之前價格曾跌至43.58美元。

Front-month Brent showed a 10 cent gain at $48.57 a barrel, off its session high of $49.24.

布倫特原油的近期交割價從最高點的49.24美元降至48.57美元，但比之前上升了10美分。

The spread between the two crude oils was its largest since Dec. 29, with Brent fetching a premium of more than $4.70 a barrel due to the weaker fundamentals in U.S. crude.

兩桶油的近期交割波動爲12月29日以來最大的降幅。美國原油基本盤較弱，使得布倫特原油的溢價超過4.7美元一桶。

The current "contango" market structure in both Brent and WTI, where forward month contracts are pricier to nearby oil, is also giving traders an incentive to short prompt crude and buy forward contracts for storage in the hope of delivering those for a profit later.

布倫特和WTI（西德州輕質原油）現正面臨‘期貨溢價'的市場現狀，遠期合同價比近期交割價更高。這激勵了貿易商們積極參與短線石油交易，購買空頭遠期合同以期套利。

Oil prices have tumbled about 60 percent since June, with losses accelerating from November onward when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries refused to cut its output to shore up prices.

自六月以來石油價格已經下跌了60%。十一月時，歐佩克宣佈不會縮減石油產量維持價格後，石油價格下跌速度進一步加快。

OPEC's dominant member and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has repeatedly rebuffed calls from other OPEC producers such as Venezuela and Algeria in recent months to reconsider the November decision. The OPEC secretary-general said this week the seven-month long sell-off in oil may have run its course and prices could rebound.

歐佩克的主要成員國和最大石油出口國沙特阿拉伯已經多次拒絕其他成員國，如委內瑞拉和阿爾及利亞提出的減產要求。歐佩克祕書長本週曾表示，長達七個月的拋本大甩賣之後，油價或已觸底並將反彈。