据能源世界网11月3日新加坡报道，两名知情人士本周表示，伊拉克石油营销公司(SOMO)已通知客户，计划于明年1月推出名为巴士拉中质原油（Basra Medium）的第三种原油出口级别。
消息人士和路透社11月2日公告的副本显示，新的中等含硫原油将通过将现有的巴士拉轻质原油生产分成两个等级来生产。
从伊拉克南部近海的巴士拉石油码头出口的巴士拉轻质原油占该国出口和收入的大部分。伊拉克10月份每天出口约277万桶巴士拉原油，是石油输出国组织的第二大原油生产国。
该信息显示，拆分后，巴士拉轻质原油的API重力约为33度，巴士拉中质原油的重力将约为29度。 那将与卡塔尔的al-Shaheen原油等级相似。
现有的巴士拉重质原油是2015年生产的，其API约为24度。
API重力是石油密度的指数。重力数较低的品级被认为较重，精炼时往往产出较少的汽油和柴油。
其中一名消息人士称，此举可能会稳定伊拉克原油的质量，但如果SOMO决定取消目前用于补偿石油价格波动的价格机制，其成本可能会上升。
根据通知，SOMO将为这三个等级原油分别设定官方售价。
买家必须在11月13日之前通知SOMO他们计划在2021年为每个等级提升的数量。巴士拉中质原油可以作为买方已经要求的数量的一部分，也可以作为2021年的额外数量。
SOMO没有立即回应记者的置评请求。
郝芬 译自 能源世界网
原文如下：
Iraq to launch new Basra Medium crude for export in 2021: sources
Iraq's Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) has notified clients that it plans to launch a third crude oil export grade called Basra Medium in January, two sources with knowledge of the matter said this week.
The new medium-sour crude will be created by splitting the existing Basra Light production into two grades, according to the sources and a copy of the Nov. 2 notice reviewed by Reuters.
Basra Light, exported from the Basra Oil Terminal offshore southern Iraq, accounts for the bulk of the country's exports and revenues. Iraq exported about 2.77 million barrels per day of Basra crude in October and it is the second-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Basra Light will have an API gravity of around 33 degrees after the split while Basra Medium's gravity will be about 29 degrees, the letter showed. That would be similar to Qatar's al-Shaheen crude grade.
The existing Basra Heavy crude, which was created in 2015, has an API of around 24 degrees.
API gravity is an indicator of an oil's density. Grades with a lower gravity number are considered heavier and tend to yield less gasoline and diesel when refined.
The move could stabil
ize the quality of Iraqi crude for buyers, but their costs may increase if SOMO decides to remove a price mechanism currently used to compensate buyers for API gravity fluctuations, one of the sources said.
SOMO will set official selling prices for each of the three grades, according to the notice.
Buyers have to notify SOMO by Nov. 13 of the volume they plan to lift for each grade in 2021. Basra Medium crude could be nominated either as part of a buyers already required volumes or as additional quantity for 2021.
SOMO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.