據油價網7月3日報道，路透周一對六位亞洲煉油消息人士的調查顯示，預計沙特阿拉伯8月將下調輸往亞洲的原油價格，以反映市場走勢。

根據路透社的調查，全球最大的原油出口商沙特阿美公司(Saudi Aramco)將把沙特旗艦級阿拉伯輕質原油(Arab Light)的官方售價(OSP)與7月份相比降低約0.50美元/桶。

沙特阿拉伯通常在每個月的5號公布下個月的OSP，而大多數其他中東大型原油出口國通常都會遵循沙特阿拉伯的定價政策。

上個月，沙特阿拉伯將其7月份面向亞洲的旗艦級阿拉伯輕質原油的OSP每桶提高了0.45美元，比阿曼/迪拜的平均價格高出3.00美元，中東原油的價格是根據阿曼/迪拜的平均價格定價的。7月份原油價格相對于阿曼/迪拜基準價格的溢價為6個月來最高。

價格上漲令市場感到意外，市場原本預計價格會下降。

在7月價格上漲的前一天，歐佩克+生產商決定將目前的減產持續到2024年底，而歐佩克的最大生產商沙特阿拉伯表示，將在7月自愿減產100萬桶/日，降至900萬桶/日左右。沙特能源大臣薩勒曼表示，削減可能會延長到7月以后。

根據路透社的調查，亞洲煉油廠預計8月份沙特將下調阿拉伯特級輕質油、阿拉伯輕質油和阿拉伯中質油的官方售價，而一些煉油廠預計阿拉伯重質油的價格將上調。

上月的意外漲價降低了亞洲煉油商的煉油利潤率，這些煉油商現在期望沙特降價。

路透社調查中的一名受訪者表示，沙特需要削減價格以反映市場走勢。在過去的幾個月里，他們有點偏離了現實。

郝芬 譯自 油價網

原文如下:

Saudi Arabia Expected To Cut Oil Prices To Asia

Saudi Arabia is expected to reduce the price of its crude oil going to Asia in August to reflect market movements, a Reuters survey of six Asian refining sources showed on Monday.  

Saudi Aramco, the world’s top crude oil exporter, is set to reduce the official selling price (OSP) for the flagship Saudi grade, Arab Light, by around $0.50 per barrel compared to the loadings for July, according to the Reuters poll.   

Saudi Arabia typically announces on the fifth of each month the OSPs for the following month and its pricing policy is generally followed by most of the other large Middle Eastern crude oil exporters.

Last month, Saudi Arabia raised the OSP for its flagship grade Arab Light for Asia for July by $0.45 per barrel to a premium of $3.00 over the Oman/Dubai average, off which Middle East crude for Asia is priced. The price for July was the highest premium against the Oman/Dubai benchmark in six months.

The price hike came as a surprise to the market, which had expected a cut in prices.

A day before the price hike for July, the OPEC+ producers decided to keep the current cuts until the end of 2024, while OPEC’s top producer, Saudi Arabia, said it would voluntarily reduce its production by 1 million bpd in July, to around 9 million bpd. The cut could be extended beyond July, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said.  

For August, Asian refiners expect the Saudis to cut the OSPs for Arab Extra Light, Arab Light, and Arab Medium, while some refiners expect Arab Heavy prices to be raised, according to the Reuters poll.

Last month’s unexpected price hike has reduced refining margins at the Asian refiners who now expect the Saudis to cut prices.

“Saudi needs to trim prices to reflect the market movements. They have gone a bit too far from the reality in the past few months,” one respondent in the Reuters survey said.