据美国彭博新闻社4月5日巴格达报道，埃克森美孚公司时下正在考虑出售其在伊拉克西古尔纳-1油田持有的股份，这表明这家美国超级石油巨头愿意出售其在中东的一个大油田的股份，以减少其去年积累的巨额债务。
伊拉克石油部采取了不同寻常的举措，表示正在与美国公司就购买埃克森美孚公司在位于伊拉克南部巴士拉附近的西古尔纳-1油田32.7%股份的可能性进行谈判。
埃克森美孚公司拒绝就任何潜在的股份出售一事置评。在第二次海湾战争后的伊拉克重建过程中，西古尔纳-1油田被认为是伊拉克石油工业的一项闪闪发光的大奖，埃克森美孚公司在2010年成为这个油田的主要承包商。但近几年来，苛刻的合同条款、延期付款、欧佩克减产以及政治局势不稳定削弱了西古尔纳-1油田的吸引力。与此同时，疫情对埃克森美孚公司的财务造成了毁灭性的影响，导致其债务总额激增至700多亿美元，并导致穆迪投资者服务公司在不到一年的时间里两次下调其评级。
出售资产是埃克森美孚公司削减债务和维护其每年150亿美元股息战略的关键部分。鉴于布伦特原油价格已反弹至每桶66美元以上，今年以来油价已累计上涨了29%，上述目标有望实现。彭博社去年11月曾援引知情人士的话报道称，埃克森美孚公司在西古尔纳-1油田持有的股份可能至少能卖到5亿美元。
李峻 编译自 彭博社
原文如下：
Exxon mulls sale of West Qurna-1 stake, says Iraq’s oil ministry
Exxon Mobil is considering selling its stake in Iraq’s West Qurna-1 oil field in a sign that the supermajor is willing to part with Iraq’s oil ministry took the unusual step of saying it’s in talks with U.S. companies about the possibility of them buying Exxon’s 32.7% stake in the field in southern Iraq, near the city of Basra.
Exxon declined to comment West Qurna-1 was considered Asset sales are a key part of Exxon’s strategy to reduce that debt, as well as defend its $15 billion-a-year dividend. Those goals are within easier reach now that Brent crude has rebounded to more than $66 a barrel, up 29% this year. Exxon’s stake in West Qurna-1 could fetch at least $500 million, Bloomberg reported in November, citing people familiar with the matter.