據路透社7月30日報道，石油價格周四下跌，原因是全球冠狀病毒感染病例激增，可能危及燃料需求的復蘇，加上此時主要石油生產國正準備提高產量。

截至格林尼治時間09：07，最活躍的布倫特原油10月合約下跌51美分，至每桶43.58美元，跌幅為1.2%。將于周五到期的9月份布倫特原油期貨合約下跌56美分，至每桶43.19美元。美國西德克薩斯中質原油期貨下跌60美分，至每桶40.67美元，跌幅為1.5%。

美國能源信息署（EIA）公布，原油庫存創下去年12月以來最大單周跌幅后，兩個基準合約周三均上漲。

PVM石油經紀公司Tamas Varga表示:“最近冠狀病毒的再次爆發是一個不祥的信號，表明近期的經濟上行空間有限。”

周三，美國死于冠狀病毒疫情的人數超過15萬人，而巴西的確診病例和死亡人數也創下了世界第二嚴重的紀錄。周四，澳大利亞的新感染病例創歷史新高。

在需求反彈可能受到打擊之際，歐佩克及其盟友正準備在8月增加產量，使全球日產量增加約150萬桶，對需求反彈造成潛在沖擊。

AxiCorp首席全球市場策略師Stephen Innes表示："歐佩克+放寬供應限制，加上美國部分產量回升，可能在未來幾周對市場情緒造成影響。"

道達爾和荷蘭皇家殼牌公司公布，公司第二季度擁有微薄利潤，因為石油交易業務使它們避免遭受疫情導致的需求損失的全面影響。

王佳晶 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil prices slide as virus surge weighs on demand outlook

Oil prices fell on Thursday, as surging coronavirus infections around the world threatened to jeopardise a recovery in fuel demand just as major oil producers are set to raise output.

The most-active Brent crude contract for October fell 51 cents, or 1.2%, to $43.58 a barrel at 0907 GMT. The September Brent contract, which is expiring on Friday, fell 56 cents to $43.19 a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 60 cents, or 1.5%, at $40.67 a barrel.

Both benchmark contracts rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported the largest one-week fall in crude stocks since December.

“The recent resurgence of the coronavirus is an ominous sign that the upside is limited in the immediate future,” Tamas Varga of oil brokerage PVM said.

Deaths from COVID-19 topped 150,000 in the United States on Wednesday, while Brazil, with the world’s second-worst outbreak, set daily records of confirmed cases and deaths. New infections in Australia hit a record on Thursday.

The potential hit to the demand rebound comes just as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, together known as OPEC+, are set to step up output in August, adding about 1.5 million barrels per day to global supply.

“The easing OPEC+ supply restrictions combined with the return of some U.S. production may test the resilience of market sentiment in the coming weeks,” Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at AxiCorp said.

Total and Royal Dutch Shell reported small profits in the second quarter as their oil trading businesses shielded them from the full force of the pandemic-induced demand loss.