美國的鉆井活動增長正在趨于平穩

在更強的需求下，海上鉆井平臺的日租金正在飆升

作為歐洲能源危機的直接結果，市場對FSRU的需求在2022年也已經起飛

據油價網12月26日報道，今年，即使在美國石油鉆機增長趨于平穩的情況下，海外鉆井對海上鉆機的需求也在飆升。根據貝克休斯公司的數據，現在有622個石油鉆機在美國運行，低于2020年3月疫情開始時的683個，與6周前相比沒有變化。這導致鉆井日租金飆升，鉆井承包商的股票飆升，如Transocean Ltd.的股價今年以來上漲了49.7%；又如Valaris Ltd.的股價已經飆升了75.1%，而Noble Corp. Plc股價上漲了45.1%。與此形成鮮明對比的是，市場對海上鉆井平臺的需求十分火爆，日租金最近突破40萬美元，高于6月份的30萬美元和兩年前的不到20萬美元。

Evercore的高級董事總經理James West概述了這些發展的三個關鍵原因。

美國石油巨頭埃克森美孚、雪佛龍和康菲石油已經在該國獲得了他們所需的鉆機，而他們的私人競爭對手由于預算限制和油價下跌，對市場擴張沒有表現出興趣。這些石油巨頭也在將更多的鉆井轉移到海上和海外，因為美國的頁巖油機會現在很有限，所有的優質油田都已經被占用。國家石油公司（NOCs），包括沙特阿拉伯、阿布扎比和科威特的國家石油公司，目前正在擴大海上生產，因為他們希望從石油巨頭手中奪回市場份額，而歐美石油巨頭最近更注重以股息和股票回購的形式向股東返還多余的現金，而不是擴大生產。

能源危機引發了對浮式液化天然氣終端的瘋狂追逐

在天然氣領域，今年對液化天然氣浮式儲存和再氣化裝置（LNG-FSRU）的需求急劇增加，由于供應商逐步削減管道天然氣流量，歐洲面臨能源供應緊張的局面。

目前對液化天然氣進口的需求加劇，因為重新開啟其天然氣龍頭的前景已經破滅。這迫使歐洲幾十個國家轉向FSRU或浮式液化天然氣終端，這基本上是移動終端，卸下超冷燃料并將其輸送到陸上網絡。

目前，全球有48艘FSRU在運行，能源咨詢機構雷斯塔能源透露，除了6艘之外，其他都被鎖定為定期租約。

根據能源智囊團Ember的說法，歐盟已經為多達19個新的FSRU項目排定了計劃，估計成本為95億歐元。

最大的受益者是韓國造船業，FSRU是他們的主要收入來源。韓國在這一領域是絕對的世界領導者。據當地媒體報道，到目前為止，韓國造船廠的訂單量同比增長了46%。政府的目標是，到2030年，韓國將占據75%的市場份額。

這樣的安排再好不過了。由于這些船只的供應如此緊張，租借到德國的費用同比增加了一倍，達到每天20萬美元。

“去年FSRU過剩，今年則出現了赤字。到目前為止，市場上有足夠的船舶，但由于現在大多數船舶都已被占用，因此變得更具挑戰性。”奧斯陸的船舶經紀公司Fearnley LNG的全球負責人Per Christian Fett告訴彭博社。

總部位于得克薩斯州的Excelerate Energy Inc.正在向歐洲發送三艘FSRU，其總吞吐能力可進口150億立方米天然氣，約占2021年進口管道氣和LNG的10%。歐洲對這些碼頭的需求非常強烈，這可能會使新興國家使用FSRU滿足自身需求的成本降低。雷斯塔能源的高級分析師Kaushal Ramesh說：“在現有租約條款允許的情況下，世界其他地區未被充分利用的設施可能被轉移到歐洲，這種風險是真實的。”

荷蘭在一個新的碼頭上首次交付了液化天然氣，推動了歐洲擺脫產能大國天然氣的努力。此前，荷蘭只能通過鹿特丹進口液化天然氣；然而，隨著停泊在埃姆沙文的兩艘FSRU——Golar Igloo和Eemshaven LNG的投產，這種情況已經改變。FSRU項目在創紀錄的時間內完成。

荷蘭氣候和能源部長Rob Jetten宣稱：“新的液化天然氣終端的到來，不僅對荷蘭，而且對整個歐洲來說都是重要的一步，以盡快完全淘汰對產能大國能源的依賴。FRSU為歐洲提供了最快速和最有效的方式，以結束對從產能大國引入大量管道天然氣的依賴。”

曹海斌 編譯自 油價網

The Offshore Drilling Market Is Booming Again

U.S. drilling activity growth is plateauing.

Day rates for offshore drilling rigs are soaring amid stronger demand.

Demand for FSRU’s has also taken off in 2022 as a direct result of the energy crisis in Europe.

Demand for offshore rigs for overseas drilling has soared this year even as U.S. oil-rig growth has plateaued. According to Baker Hughes, there are now 622 oil rigs operating in the U.S., down from the 683 in operation in March of 2020 at the onset of the pandemic and unchanged from six weeks ago. This has caused day rates to skyrocket and the stocks of drilling contractors to soar with Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) up 49.7% in the year-to-date; Valaris Ltd. (NYSE: VAL) has rocketed 75.1% while Noble Corp. Plc (NYSE: NE) has gained 45.1%. In sharp contrast, demand for offshore rigs is sizzling, with S&P Global reporting that day rates recently topped $400,000, up from $300,000 in June and less than $200,000 two years ago. 

James West, senior managing director at Evercore, has outlined three key reasons for these developments:

U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) have already secured the rigs they need in the country while their private rivals are showing little appetite for expansion due to budget constraints and lower oil prices.

These oil majors are also moving more of their drilling offshore and overseas because U.S. shale opportunities are now limited with all prime acreage already taken up.

National oil companies (NOCs) including those in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait are currently expanding offshore production as they look to claw back market share from the majors who have lately been more focused on returning excess cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks rather than expanding production.

Energy Crisis Sparks Mad Dash For Floating LNG Terminals

In the natural gas sector, demand for LNG floating storage and regasification units (LNG-FSRUs) has increased sharply this year, with Europe facing an energy supply squeeze as the provider has progressively cut pipeline gas flows. 

Demand for LNG imports has intensified after the ruptures on the key Nord Stream pipeline system quashed any prospect of the bigger producer turning its gas taps back on. This has forced dozens of countries in Europe to turn to FSRUs or floating LNG terminals, which are essentially mobile terminals that unload the super-chilled fuel and pipe it into onshore networks.

Currently, there are 48 FSRUs in operation globally, with Rystad Energy revealing that all but six of them are locked into term charters. 

According to energy think-tank Ember, the EU has lined up plans for as many as 19 new FSRU projects at an estimated cost of €9.5bn. 

The biggest beneficiaries are Korean shipbuilding, for whom FSRUs are a major revenue-generator. Korea is the definitive world leader in this field. According to local media, Korean shipbuilders managed to book 46% more orders so far, YoY. And the government’s goal is for the country to grab 75% of the market share by 2030. 

The setup couldn’t be better. With the supply of these vessels so tight, the cost of charters into Germany has doubled year-on-year to $200,000 a day. 

“Last year there was a surplus of FSRUs and this year there is a deficit. Up until now there have been sufficient vessels in the market, but as most have now been taken, it’s becoming more challenging,” Per Christian Fett, the global head of LNG at shipbrokers Fearnley LNG in Oslo, has told Bloomberg.

Texas-based Excelerate Energy Inc. is sending three FSRUs to Europe with combined throughput capacity to import 15 billion cubic meters of gas, or about 10% of the pipeline and LNG imports from the bigger producer in 2021. Demand for the terminals in Europe is so strong that it could make it less affordable for emerging nations to use FSRUs for their own needs. “The risk is real that underutilized facilities in other regions of the world could be relocated to Europe, existing charter terms permitting,” Kaushal Ramesh, a senior analyst at consultant Rystad Energy, has said.

The Netherlands has taken its first delivery of LNG at a new terminal, boosting Europe’s efforts to wean itself off Russian gas. Previously, the Netherlands could only import LNG through Rotterdam; however, that has changed with the commissioning of two FSRUs, the Golar Igloo and Eemshaven LNG, moored in Eemshaven. The FSRU project was completed in record time Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. With the pair of floating ships now supplying gas to the landlocked Czech Republic and Germany.

“The arrival of the new LNG terminal is an important step not only for the Netherlands, but for the whole of Europe to completely phase out the dependence on energy from the bigger producer as quickly as possible,” Rob Jetten, Dutch minister for climate and energy, has declared. FRSUs offer the quickest and most efficient way for Europe to end its reliance on the pipelines that bring in large quantities of natural gas from the bigger producer .