據路透社9月24日報道，由于冠狀病毒的爆發，市場擔心美國經濟復蘇正在放緩，而歐洲新一波疫情導致幾個國家重新實施出行限制措施，油價周四下跌。

疫情重燃對需求和經濟前景的擔憂已推動美元走強，因投資者轉向更安全的資產，給油價帶來壓力。美元走強會降低以美元計價的石油對全球買家的吸引力。

格林威治時間06：50，美國西德克薩斯中質原油期貨價格下跌37美分，至每桶39.56美元，跌幅為0.9%;布倫特原油期貨價格下跌34美分，跌幅為0.8%，至每桶41.43美元。

美國政府數據顯示，上周美國原油和燃料庫存下降，周三兩大股指均小幅攀升。汽油庫存降幅超過預期，為400萬桶，餾分油庫存意外減少340萬桶。

不過，由于疫情限制了出行，美國的燃油需求仍然低迷。政府數據顯示，截至上周的四周平均汽油需求為每天850萬桶，較上年同期下降9%。

數據顯示美國9月企業活動放緩，美國聯邦儲備理事會(美聯儲FED)官員表達了對復蘇停滯的擔憂，英國和德國實施限制措施以遏制新冠肺炎擴張，所有這些因素都將影響燃料需求前景，此后油價下跌。

OANDA高級市場分析師杰弗里?哈雷(Jeffrey Halley)表示:“由于可立即交付的石油產品仍然充足，油價正在下跌。隨著歐洲重新實施新冠肺炎限制措施，以及美聯儲要求美國實施更多財政刺激措施的呼聲，人們對消費前景的擔憂正在加劇，這些都破壞了全球經濟復蘇的前景，而全球經濟復蘇是油價復蘇的關鍵。”

與此同時，伊拉克國家通訊社(INA)援引伊拉克石油部長賈巴爾(Ihsan Abdul Jabbar)周四的話稱，預計將與歐佩克達成一項增加伊拉克原油出口的協議。

王佳晶 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil falls as demand growth concerns outweigh U.S. stock drawdown

Oil prices dropped on Thursday, weighed down by concerns that U.S. economic recovery is slowing as the coronavirus outbreak lingers, while a renewed wave of COVID-19 cases in Europe have led to reimposed travel restrictions in several countries.

The jitters over demand and economic outlook due to the coronavirus resurgence have prompted a rally in the dollar as investors turned to safer assets, adding pressure to oil prices. A stronger dollar makes oil, priced in U.S. dollars, less attractive to global buyers.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures fell 37 cents, or 0.9%, to $39.56 a barrel at 0650 GMT, while Brent crude LCOc1 futures dropped 34 cents, or 0.8%, to $41.43 a barrel.

Both benchmarks climbed slightly on Wednesday after government data showed U.S. crude and fuel stockpiles dropped last week. Gasoline inventories fell more than expected, sliding by 4 million barrels, and distillate stockpiles posted a surprise drawdown of 3.4 million barrels. [EIA/S]

Still, fuel demand in the U.S. remains subdued as the pandemic limits travel. The four-week average of gasoline demand was 8.5 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, the government data showed, down 9% from a year earlier.

Prices turned down after data showed U.S. business activity slowed in September, U.S. Federal Reserve officials flagged concerns about a stalling recovery, and Britain and Germany imposed restrictions to stem new coronavirus infections -- all factors affecting the fuel demand outlook.

“Oil prices are wilting as product for immediate delivery remains plentiful,” said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at OANDA.

“Consumption outlook concerns are rising as COVID-19 restrictions return in Europe, and the clamour from the Federal Reserve for more U.S. fiscal stimulus, undermines the global recovery case, the lynchpin for oil’s price recovery.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar expects an agreement with the OPEC+ group to increase Iraq’s crude oil exports, state news agency INA cited him as saying on Thursday.