全球制裁形势导致油价跌至4年最低点

The price of oil tumbled to a four-year low after the west’s energy watchdog cut its forecast for oil-demand growth and said that it did not expect Opec to cut supply when it meets next month.

油价跌至四年低点，此前西方国家的能源监督机构下调石油需求增长预测，并称，预计石油输出国组织（Opec，简称欧佩克）下月开会时不会削减供应。

A glut of crude in the market, partly driven by the US shale boom, combined with weakening oil demand as the global economic outlook darkens has pushed the price of oil to its lowest level since 2010. Brent, the international oil benchmark, which has plunged almost 25 per cent since mid-June, fell $1.65 to $86.58 in afternoon trading .

在美国页岩能源热潮的部分带动下，市场上原油供过于求，加上全球经济前景恶化导致石油需求变弱，油价下降到2010年以来最低水平。作为国际原油基准的布伦特原油(Brent)自6月中旬以来暴跌近25%，昨日午后下跌1.65美元，至每桶86.58美元。

Crude’s drop has reverberated across the oil industry, hitting the shares of shale oil explorers in the US and causing jitters in oil-producing countries, such as Russia, that rely heavily on oil revenues to fill government coffers.

原油价格下跌已在整个石油行业引发震荡，不但打击了美国页岩油勘探企业的股价，还引起俄罗斯等产油国恐慌，这些国家的国库严重依赖石油收入。

Further falls could endanger investment in deepwater, Arctic and shale reserves that require a high oil price to break even, analysts said. That could potentially crimp future oil supplies.

分析师们表示，油价进一步下跌可能危及企业对深水、北极和页岩储量的投资，它们都需要高油价才能达到盈亏平衡。这可能不利于未来的石油供应。

Brent’s slide has prompted some members of Opec, the producers’ club, to call for a cut in output ahead of the group’s next meeting in Vienna next month.

欧佩克将于下月在维也纳举行会议，布伦特原油下滑促使部分成员国在会前呼吁减产。

But Saudi Arabia, Opec’s largest producer, and Kuwait have both played down the prospects of a cut, with Riyadh signaling that it was prepared to accept a period of low prices.

但沙特阿拉伯（欧佩克最大产油国）和科威特都弱化了减产的可能性，沙特发出信号称，它准备接受一段低价格时期。

In its closely watched monthly oil market report, the International Energy Agency, the oil-consumers’ watchdog, cut its forecast for world oil demand growth this year by 250,000 barrels a day on “reduced expectations of economic growth”. That suggests demand will grow at its slowest pace in five years.

石油消费国监督机构——国际能源署(International Energy Agency)在其备受关注的月度石油市场报告中，将今年的全球石油需求增长预测下调了25万桶/日，理由是“经济增长预期下降”。这意味着需求将以5年来最慢速度增长。

Oil consumption has been hit by the worsening outlook for the world economy.

近期石油消费受到世界经济前景恶化的影响。

Earlier this month the IMF cut its forecast for global economic growth for the third time this year.

本月早些时候，国际货币基金组织(IMF)今年第三次下调全球经济增长预测。

The world’s weakening appetite for oil comes with the market awash with plentiful supplies of crude. Libya’s production has recovered strongly even as the country descends further into chaos, while Iraq’s oil fields have remained insulated from the violence in the north. Meanwhile, US output remains strong, leading to a glut of supply in the Atlantic Basin and the North Sea.

在全球石油需求低迷之际，市场上充斥着原油。利比亚产量已强劲复苏，尽管该国进一步陷入混乱，而伊拉克的油田仍未受该国北方武装冲突影响。与此同时，美国产出依然强劲，导致大西洋盆地和北海供应过剩。