???? 據2月18日Investing.com報道，一年前，新冠肺炎疫情在全球爆發，至今全球石油需求形勢仍不明朗。然而，人們現在對石油市場的某些方面有了更清晰的了解。目前，至關重要的是，要打破冬季嚴寒天氣對德克薩斯地區石油生產和煉油的影響，關注歐佩克+在兩周后的會議上可能會做的決策，美國油價上漲的原因和未來的石油需求。

????一是，美國石油供應暫時中斷。

????德克薩斯州的低溫導致本周美國原油產量大幅下降。根據最新的信息，超過400萬桶/天的石油產能被迫中斷，約占美國石油總產能的40%。要知道，在正常情況下德州通常的石油產能為460萬桶/天。

????相比之下，去年10月，為應對Delta颶風，生產商關閉了墨西哥灣約92%的原油產量，即168萬桶/天。近期氣溫應該會好轉，產能中斷可能會持續到下周，但如果需要進行大規模維修，部分產能可能會暫停更長時間。

????由于類似的氣候原因，墨西哥灣地區的大部分煉油產能也處于停產狀態。本周初，隨著有消息稱大規模停產可能將來臨，油價上漲，西德克薩斯中質油價格最終突破每桶60美元大關。

????價格周三又上漲了1%，因為更多關于中斷的信息變得清晰起來，不過隨著勘探和煉油作業的恢復，價格漲幅將有所回落。由于煉油廠停產，美國的汽油價格也在上漲。例如，周三美國中西部的汽油價格每加侖上漲了約0.05美元。

????二是，歐佩克+對減產協議的決定。

????歐佩克+成員國正準備在兩周內舉行會議，并已經開始向媒體表明他們的立場。據《華爾街日報》報道，目前，沙特阿拉伯的石油日產量將額外減產100萬桶，這一政策將持續到3月底。

????沙特阿拉伯將在4月份恢復其供應配額。這是沙特阿拉伯在1月份宣布“額外減產”時的立場，因此這一信息證實沙特阿拉伯的政策在過去幾周沒有改變。

????另一方面，歐佩克+授權俄羅斯在2月和3月增加產量，但由于異常寒冷的天氣，俄羅斯一直無法增加產量。俄羅斯2月份的平均產量為1011.5萬桶/天，比1月份減少了約4.4萬桶/天。不過，3月份氣溫升高可能會增加俄羅斯的石油產量。

????在3月4日的會議上，歐佩克+將決定是否在4月份繼續以目前的水平生產石油(沙特阿拉伯額外減產100萬桶/天)，或者由于油價的升高，決定提高產量。俄羅斯表示，它相信石油市場是平衡的，而沙特阿拉伯則對市場的現狀表達了更為謹慎和溫和的樂觀態度。

????三是，美國燃油價格上漲。

????過去一個月，每加侖汽油的平均價格上漲了近0.20美元，令人擔心美國的汽油消費價格會回到此前的高油價水平。汽油價格的上漲，可能與該國早期關于石油和天然氣租賃及石油運輸的行政命令所引發的市場緊張情緒有關。

????然而，這些行政命令尚未影響到基本面。價格上漲在很大程度上是由于與這些政策無關的基本面因素的收緊。

????四是，石油需求仍不明朗。

????美國和歐洲的短期石油需求仍然是個大問題。除非允許人們自由走動，讓孩子們重返學校，讓更多的工人重返辦公室，否則汽油消費量不可能恢復到以前的水平。

????許多歐洲國家已將封鎖令延長至3月或4月，不過在一些國家，立法機構或法院正在推翻行政當局的決策。在美國，情況也不明朗。美國許多學區還沒有恢復全日制在校課程，因此許多家長無法離開家重返工作崗位。人們希望秋季全日制教育將恢復，但就當前情況來看，這很難實現。

????長期來看，歐洲和亞洲以外地區的石油需求預計將增長。交易者不應該忘記，即使短期需求情況是存疑的，但長期需求形勢是可以確定的。

????王佳晶 摘譯自 Investing.com

????原文如下：

????4 Things To Know Now about The Future Of Oil Demand

????It's coming up on a year since the coronavirus pandemic exploded across the world and global lockdowns expanded beyond China to almost all of the rest of the world. The global oil demand situation remains uncertain.

????However, some aspects of the oil market are now better understood. Currently, it's crucial to break down what the winter freeze is doing to Texas-area oil production and refining; what OPEC+ is likely to do when it meets in two weeks; why U.S. fuel prices are up; and what, if anything, we can glean right now about the future of oil demand:

????1. Temporary Disruptions in U.S. Oil Supply

????Frigid temperatures in Texas have caused a significant drop in crude oil production in the United States this week. According to the latest information, more than 4 million bpd of oil (out of the 4.6 million bpd Texas typically produces) is now offline. That represents about 40% of total U.S. oil production.

????For comparison, this past October, producers shut about 92% of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico in preparation for Hurricane Delta, which amounted to 1.68 million bpd. Temperatures are supposed to improve through the weekend. The disruption may last until next week, but some production could be offline longer if significant repairs are needed.

????Most of the refining capacity in the Gulf of Mexico region is also offline for similar reasons. The refining disruption likely amounts to about 4 million bpd. Oil prices rose at the beginning of the week on news that such shutdowns might be coming, and WTI finally topped the $60 per barrel mark.

????Prices rose another 1% on Wednesday, as more details about the disruptions became clear, though traders should be prepared for some retreat from these price gains as production and refining return. Gasoline prices are also rising in the United States as a result of the refinery outages. For example, prices increased about $0.05 per gallon in the Midwest on Wednesday.

????2. OPEC+ to Meet on March 4

????OPEC+ members are preparing to meet in two weeks and have already started presenting their positions to the media. Currently, Saudi Arabia is holding back an extra 1 million bpd of production, but, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, it intends to continue this policy only through the end of March.

????Saudi Arabia will resume pumping at its quota in April. This was Saudi Arabia’s position when it announced the “surprise cuts” back in January, so this information confirms that Saudi Arabia’s policy hasn’t changed in the last few weeks.

????Russia, on the other hand, was authorized by OPEC+ to increase production in February and March, but it hasn’t been able to pump more barrels due to abnormally cold weather. Russia’s production has actually averaged 10.115 million bpd in February, about 44,000 bpd less than January. It is possible that warmer temperatures in March may bring an increase in Russia’s oil production.

????When it meets on Mar. 4, OPEC+ will decide whether to continue pumping at current levels in April (with an additional 1 million bpd from Saudi Arabia returning) or it could decide to increase production rates since prices are higher. Russia indicated this week that it believes the oil market is balanced, while Saudi Arabia expressed more cautious and tempered optimism about the current state of the market.

????3. Higher Fuel Prices in the U.S.

????The average price of a gallon of gasoline has increased nearly $0.20 in the past month, sparking concerns that U.S. consumers may see a return to the high gasoline prices that characterized the Obama administration. Some of the increase in oil prices, and therefore gasoline prices, can be tied to the sentiment created by the Biden administration’s early executive orders on oil and gas leasing and oil transportation.

????However, these executive orders are not yet impacting the fundamentals. Rising prices are largely due to tightening fundamentals unconnected to these policies.

????4. Oil Demand Questionable

????Short-term oil demand in the U.S. and Europe is still a major question. Gasoline consumption cannot be expected to return to previous levels until free movement is allowed, children return to school and many more workers return to their offices.

????Many European countries have extended their lockdown orders through March or April, though in some countries legislative bodies or courts are overruling the executive’s authority. In the United States, the situation is also unclear. Many school districts in the U.S. have not resumed full-time, in-school classes, so many parents are unable to return to work out of the home. Many forecasters seem to be counting on a resumption of full-time schooling in the autumn, but the political situation in America may make that impossible.

????In the long-term, oil demand is expected to grow outside of Europe and Asia. (Last week, this column examined India’s potential growth). Traders should not forget that even if the short-term demand situation is questionable, the long-term demand situation is more certain.