據今日油價8月29日報道，加拿大第二季度對油氣行業的資本支出下降了一半以上，原因是由新冠肺炎疫情引發的低油價持續給油氣生產商帶來難以承受的壓力。

加拿大統計局(Statistics Canada)的數據顯示，加拿大第二季度的資本支出下降了54%，至38.8億美元。這比2020年一季度的84.6億美元和2019年第四季度的85.9億美元大幅減少。

加拿大石油生產商協會幾個月前估計，全年用于石油和天然氣生產部門的支出將略高于230億美元，低于1月份預測的370億美元，當時疫情還未爆發。

本月早些時候，ATB Financial估計，加拿大石油業的心臟——阿爾伯塔省今年在石油和天然氣開采上的支出僅為166億美元，比2019年減少了70億美元。如果預測得到證實，這將是自2006年以來的最低支出，比阿爾伯塔省十年平均支出低58%。

IHS Markit稱這70億美元的降幅“異常大”。在疫情爆發之前，2020年阿爾伯塔省的石油和天然氣資本支出預計將與2019年持平——阿爾伯塔省每年的開支中有一半以上用于石油和天然氣工業。

雖然經濟有望在某一時刻恢復，但即使疫情已經過去，加拿大的石油工業仍將繼續疲軟，管道工程在各省之間帶來麻煩，氣候問題日益突出，這已不是什么秘密。

目前，加拿大的石油產量已低于其輸送石油到市場的管道限制性輸送能力。然而，這些管道問題已被擱置，但隨著石油價格，以及隨后的石油產量的上升，這些問題將再次浮出水面。

王佳晶 摘譯自 今日油價

原文如下：

Canadian Oil And Gas Spending Plummets 54%

Canada’s capital spending on its oil and gas industry fell by more than half in the second quarter as the pandemic-inspired low prices continue to burden oil and gas producers with impossible breakevens.

Canada’s capital spending fell 54% in Q2, to $3.88 billion, according to Statistics Canada. This is down from $8.46 billion in Q1 2020 and $8.59 billion in Q4 2019.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers estimated a couple of months ago that the full-year spend for its oil and gas production sector would be just above $23 billion—down from $37 billion for the year that it predicted in January, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this month, ATB Financial estimated that the heart of Canada’s oil industry, Alberta, would spend just $16.6 billion this year on oil and gas extraction—a drop of $7 billion from 2019. If realized, it will be the lowest spend since 2006, and 58% lower than Alberta’s ten-year average spend.

IHS Markit called this $7 billion drop “extraordinarily” large.

Prior to the pandemic, Alberta’s 2020 oil and gas capital spending was expected to be similar to 2019 levels.

Over half of what Alberta spends each year is on its oil and gas industry.

While recovery is expected at some point, it is no secret that even after the pandemic is behind it, Canada’s oil industry will continue to struggle, with pipeline projects stirring up trouble between provinces, and climate issues gaining traction.

For now, those pipeline issues have been put on the backburner while Canada’s oil production has fallen below its restrictive pipeline capacity that carries its oil to market. However, those issues will once again rear their ugly heads as the price of oil—and subsequently, the production of oil—rises.