據油價網2021年8月13日報道，原油交易商8月13日對彭博社記者表示，盡管由于德爾塔變異病毒席卷全球導致燃油需求放緩，但亞洲煉油商仍利用美國基準油價低于7月份的機會，第4季度從美國訂購了更多的原油。

　　亞洲煉油商尋求更便宜的原油，特別是沙特阿拉伯國家石油公司（沙特阿美）上周將其9月份出口亞洲原油的官方售價上調至自2020年2月以來的最高溢價。 由于其他主要中東產油國跟隨沙特阿拉伯的定價趨勢，海灣地區的其他石油出口國也提高了出口原油價格。

　　已有跡象表明，一些亞洲煉油商已要求沙特阿拉伯減少9月份的原油供應量。

　　亞洲4家煉油廠的官員對彭博社表示，由于亞洲其他地區的當局重新實施了限制措施，以應對德爾塔變異病毒病例數的激增，一些亞洲煉油商已提名沙特阿拉伯的原油進口量低于正常水平。

　　因此，亞洲煉油商正在巧妙地尋找美國樂于供應的低價原油。 美國中質和重質原油生產商以比7月份更低的價格出售他們的原油。 上周接受彭博社采訪的交易商表示，俄羅斯的石油公司也在打折出售烏拉爾混合原油。

　　根據彭博社的交易消息，由于美國原油價格目前低于7月份，且相對于迪拜基準價格的溢價明顯降低，亞洲煉油商已購買了至少700萬桶預計將在10月和11月運抵的美國原油。

　　印度巴拉特石油公司獲得了200萬桶西德克薩斯中質米德蘭原油，預計將在10月運達印度。 在東北亞，兩家煉油廠購買了500萬美國瑪爾斯原油，預計將在11月份運抵。

　　李峻 編譯自 油價網

　　原文如下：

　　Asia Buys More U.S. Crude As Middle East Hikes Oil Prices

　　Despite a slowdown in fuel demand due to the Delta variant, Asian refiners have booked more crude oil from the United States for the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the lower U.S. benchmark prices than last month, traders told Bloomberg on Friday.

　　Refiners in Asia seek cheaper crude, especially after Saudi Aramco raised last week its official selling prices for crude oil loading for Asia in September to the highest premiums to benchmarks since February 2020. Since other major Middle Eastern producers follow the trends in Saudi pricing, other oil exporters in the Gulf also raised their prices.

　　Signs have already emerged that some Asian refiners have asked for lower Saudi crude volumes for September.

　　Some Asian refiners have nominated lower than usual volumes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia as authorities in the rest of Asia have reimposed restrictions to fight the Delta variant surge, officials at four refineries told Bloomberg.

　　Refiners are thus opportunistically seeking lower-priced crude, which the U.S. is happy to supply. U.S. producers of medium heavy are selling their oil at lower prices than last month’s. And Russian oil companies are discounting their Urals grade, according to traders who spoke to Bloomberg last week.

　　With U.S. crude prices now lower than last month’s, and at significantly lower premiums over the Dubai benchmark, Asian refiners have bought at least 7 million barrels of U.S. crude set to arrive in October and November, according to Bloomberg’s trading sources.

　　Bharat Petroleum Corporation of India has acquired 2 million barrels of the West Texas Intermediate Midland crude grade scheduled to arrive in October. In Northeast Asia, two refiners have bought 5 million of Mars crude for November arrival, the traders said.