據烴加工在線8月28日消息，由于新型冠狀病毒疫情的大流行以及為減輕疫情所采取的努力，美國對交通燃料的需求自3月中旬以來已經大幅下降。尤其是汽油和航空燃油的需求已經下降到多年來的最低水平。

為了應對這種情況，美國煉油廠減少了它們的業務，以適應石油產品總需求不斷變化的水平，并做出了其他改變，導致汽油和航空燃料的產量相應地減少，餾分燃料油的產量則出現增加。從4月份開始，美國煉油商通過減少整體煉油裝置開工率水平來應對運輸燃料需求的減少。

與2019年全年日均1700萬桶的加工量相比，2020年4月美國煉油廠開工率下降了22%，5月份美國煉油廠開工率水平比2019年全年的平均水平下降了21%。以供應產品來衡量，這些降幅在很大程度上類似于這幾個月美國成品油需求的總體降幅。因為美國大部分地區在3月底開始采取旅行限制和其他措施，對汽油和航空燃油的需求帶來了顯著的不利影響,煉油廠被迫改變操作方式,導致少生產汽油和航空燃油，多生產餾分燃料油。

張春曉 摘譯自 烴加工在線

原文如下：

Changing demand for petroleum products has led to operational changes at U.S. refineries

Demand for transportation fuels in the United States has fallen since mid-March because of the spread of coronavirus and efforts to mitigate it. Demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel in particular has fallen to its lowest levels in years. In response, U.S. refineries reduced their operations to adjust to changing levels of overall demand for petroleum products and made other changes that resulted in proportionately less production of motor gasoline and jet fuel and more production of distillate fuel oil.

Beginning in April, refiners responded to less demand for transportation fuels by decreasing overall refinery runs. Refinery runs were 22% lower in April 2020 compared with the full year 2019 average of 17.0 million barrels per day (b/d). In May, inputs to distillation units were similar, at 21% lower than the 2019 average. These reductions largely resembled the overall declines in demand for finished petroleum products in those months, as measured by product supplied.

Because demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel was disproportionately affected by travel restrictions and other measures that were in place throughout much of the United States starting in late March, refineries changed operations in ways that resulted in less production of motor gasoline and jet fuel and more production of distillate fuel oil.