据路透社7月2日消息称，四名知情人士告诉路透社，荷兰皇家壳牌公司计划离开其与埃克森美孚公司在加利福尼亚州的石油和天然气生产合资企业 Aera。
壳牌今年已剥离了大量碳密集型资产，将其在华盛顿州的炼油厂出售给Holly Frontier Corp，并将其在休斯顿地区炼油合资企业的股份出售给Petroleos Mexicanos。因为壳牌正将新的投资转向可再生能源和电力领域。
据路透社此前报道，该公司还在考虑出售其在德克萨斯州二叠纪盆地的资产。
Aera每天生产约12.5万桶石油和3200万立方英尺天然气，约占该州石油和天然气产量的25%。
知情人士称，壳牌已通知埃克森美孚其退出合资企业的计划。由于谈判是私下进行的，这名知情人士要求匿名。壳牌发言人以公司政策为由拒绝置评。
该合资企业总部位于加州贝克尔斯菲尔德，主要在圣华金谷生产。壳牌此前出售了其在加州的所有炼油业务，其中一些与油田有管道连接。
尽管加州在温室气体排放方面实行了最严格的州一级规定，但该州的石油日产量仍约为36万桶。去年，一项行政命令要求，到2035年，加州销售的所有新车和客运卡车都必须是零排放车辆，并减少最脏的石油开采形式。
随着疫情大流行旅行限制的解除，需求反弹，油价今年飙升，涨幅超过 50%。油价上涨促使许多石油生产商将资产挂牌出售。投资者要求减少化石燃料投资以遏制碳排放带来的全球气候变化的压力，这加剧了抛售热潮。
壳牌和其他欧洲石油生产商，如英国石油公司和道达尔能源公司承诺通过增加对可再生能源的投资来降低排放，同时减持部分油气资产。
壳牌是世界上最大的石油公司之一，该公司今年表示，其目标是到2035年将其产品的碳强度减少至少45%，到2050年在2016年的水平上减少100%。荷兰一家法院裁定，壳牌的努力是不够的，命令其到2030年将排放量从2019年的水平降低45%。
今年可能会有更多的交易发生，雪佛龙希望剥离德克萨斯州和新墨西哥州二叠纪盆地约10亿美元的资产。据业内专家称，埃克森、西方石油公司和其他石油公司正寻求剥离不需要的资产，筹集现金。
曹海斌 摘译自 路透社
原文如下：
Shell Plans to Exit California Joint Venture with Exxon Mobil
Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to leave Aera, its California-based oil and gas-producing joint venture with Exxon Mobil Corp, four people familiar with the talks told Reuters.
Shell has divested numerous carbon intensive assets this year, selling its refinery in Washington state to Holly Frontier Corp and its stake in a Houston-area refining joint venture to Petroleos Mexicanos as it shifts new investments to renewables and power.
The company is also considering a sale of its assets in the Permian Basin of Texas, Reuters previously reported.
Aera produces about 125,000 barrels of oil and 32 million cubic feet of natural gas each day, accounting for about 25% of the state's oil and gas production.
Shell has notified Exxon of its plans to exit the venture, the people said, speaking align="justify"> The joint venture, headquartered in Bakersfield, California, produces primarily in the San Joaquin Valley. Shell has previously sold all of its California oil refining operations, some of which had pipeline connections to the fields.
California still produces roughly 360,000 barrels of oil per day even as it has introduced the most stringent state-level rules align="justify"> Oil prices have soared this year, gaining more than 50% as demand has rebounded as COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions are lifted. The price increase has prompted many oil producers to put assets up for sale. The rush to sell is amplified by investor pressure to reduce fossil-fuel investments to stem global climate change brought by carbon emissions.
Shell and other Europe-based oil producers such as BP Plc and TotalEnergies have pledged to lower emissions through increased investment in renewables while divesting some oil and gas holdings.
Shell, align="justify"> More deal-making could take place this year, with Chevron looking to shed about $1 billion of assets in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. Exxon, Occidental Petroleum Corp and others are looking to shed unwanted assets and raise cash, according to industry experts.