據石油新聞2021年4月22日新加坡報道，由于中東原油官方售價（OSP）持續上調，韓國當地煉油商逐漸轉向青睞北美原油，而非波斯灣原油供應，再加上布倫特原油與迪拜原油價差的大幅上升，使得美國原油供應對亞洲買家更具吸引力，韓國3月份美國原油月進口量近一年來首次超過了1000萬桶。

　　韓國海關總署發布的最新統計數據顯示，3月份韓國進口美國原油144.8萬噸或1061萬桶，比2月份增長了22.1%，是2020年4月進口1483萬桶美國原油以來的最高月度進口量。

　　然而，與去年同期相比，韓國3月份美國原油進口量下降了19.9%，這是連續第11次下降。

　　由于韓國當地煉油企業因國內對汽油、柴油，特別是航空燃油的需求在新冠肺炎疫情大流行期間持續低迷而不愿購買大量的富含輕質和中質餾分油的原油等級（包括WTI米德蘭原油和鷹福特原油），亞洲第四大石油消費國韓國自2020年第二季度末以來一直在大舉削減美國原油進口量。

　　韓國石油協會的一名市場研究分析師說，盡管如此，3月份運抵韓國的大約1100萬桶美國原油表明，由于中東原油價格看起來昂貴，韓國主要煉油廠的煉油原料采購和套利交易思維發生了轉變，而國內和亞洲地區的中間餾分油需求隨著流動性限制措施的放松而緩慢改善。

　　在今年第二季度和第三季度，韓國預計平均每月將進口至少3艘巨型油輪或大約600萬桶美國原油。

　　李峻 編譯自 石油新聞

　　原文如下：

　　S Korea's March US crude imports surpass 10 mil barrels as Middle East OSPs rise

　　South Korea's US crude imports in March surpassed the 10 million barrel/month mark for the first time in almost a year, as local refiners gradually favor North American barrels over Persian Gulf supply due to the extended uptrend in the Middle Eastern official selling prices, while the sharp rise in the Brent-Dubai price spread makes US supply attractive for Asian buyers.

　　South Korea imported 1.448 million mt, or 10.61 million barrels, of US crude in March, up 22.1% from February and the highest monthly shipment since 14.83 million barrels imported in April 2020, latest data released by the Korea Customs Service showed.

　　On a year-on-year basis, however, US crude imports in March were down 19.9%, marking the eleventh consecutive decline.

　　Asia's fourth biggest oil consumer had been aggressively cutting back on US crude imports since the late second quarter of 2020 as local refiners were reluctant to buy high volumes of the light and middle distillate-rich crude grades including WTI Midland and Eagle Ford due to dismal domestic demand for gasoline, diesel and especially jet fuel amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

　　Still, around 11 million barrels of US crude that arrived in March indicate the shift in refinery feedstock procurement and arbitrage trading mindset for major South Korean refiners as Middle Eastern prices look expensive, while domestic and regional middle distillates demand slowly improves amid easing movement restriction measures, said a market research analyst at Korea Petroleum Association.

　　South Korea is expected to import at least three VLCCs, or around 6 million barrels, of US crude on average per month over the second and third quarter of 2021, according to refinery feedstock trading managers and market analysts in Seoul.