据路透社9月23日报道，美国原油库存意外增加，加上全球冠状病毒病例增多，引发市场对需求停滞的担忧，受此打压，周三油价跌破每桶42美元。
美国石油学会(American Petroleum Institute)表示，上周，原油库存增加了69.1万桶，而不是像分析师预测的那样下降。美国能源信息署(Energy Information Administration)的官方库存数据将于格林尼治标准时间14：30公布。
经纪商OANDA分析师杰弗里?哈雷(Jeffrey Halley)表示:“市场情绪仍然脆弱。预计库存将减少230万桶。如果油价意外上涨，很可能引发原油价格再次下跌。”
格林尼治标准时间08：18，布伦特原油价格下跌1美分，至每桶41.71美元，较之前1.2%的跌幅有所回落。美国西德克萨斯中质原油期货持平于每桶39.80美元。这两种合约周一均下跌逾4%，但周二有所上涨。
经纪商PVM的斯蒂芬?布伦诺克(Stephen Brennock)表示:“昨日的积极基调让石油市场缓了一口气。最近，由于新冠肺炎疫情日益加剧，需求前景受到了沉重打击。”
由于疫情导致原油需求锐减，今年油价暴跌，布伦特原油价格在4月份跌至每桶16美元以下，为21年来的最低点。欧佩克+创纪录的减产帮助油价回升。
王佳晶 摘译自 路透社
原文如下：
Oil weakens after unexpected U.S. crude inventory rise
Oil edged lower The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said crude inventories rose by 691,000 barrels rather than falling as analysts forecast. Official inventory numbers from the Energy Information Administration are due at 1430 GMT.
“Sentiment remains fragile,” said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at broker OANDA. “Inventories are expected to fall by 2.3 million barrels. A surprise increase could well be enough to initiate another downward leg in crude prices.”
Brent crude LCOc1 fell 1 cent to $41.71 a barrel by 0818 GMT, paring an earlier 1.2% drop. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was unchanged at $39.80. Both contracts fell more than 4% “Yesterday’s positive tone is pausing for breath,” said Stephen Brennock of broker PVM. “The outlook has taken a big knock of late amid the intensifying COVID pandemic.”
Surging infections in countries including India, France and Spain and new restrictions in Britain have renewed worries about demand, just as more supply may come onto the market from Libya. In the United States, the death toll from COVID-19 has passed 200,000, the world’s highest.