明年美国天然气产量下降幅度将创纪录

中国石化新闻网讯 据彭博社4月8日报道，随着钻井公司削减开支和钻探计划，2021年美国天然气产量预计将以有史以来创纪录的速度下降。

美国能源信息署(EIA)表示，2021年天然气产量将下降4.4%，至平均944.9亿立方英尺/天。这将是1998年以来最大的年度下跌幅度。该机构还预计，2020年的天然气产量也将下滑。

由于天然气预期将出现减产，价格已经开始走高。在德克萨斯州和新墨西哥州的二叠纪盆地等地区，天然气作为石油钻探的副产品被开采出来。不过，天然气需求预计也会受到影响。EIA称，明年的消费量将下降3.2%，为2003年以来的最大降幅。

自3月6日以来，1月份的天然气期货价格已经上涨了15%，天然气生产商的股价也有所上涨。

洪伟立 摘译自 彭博社

原文如下：

U.S. Natural Gas Output Expected to Fall by Most Ever Next Year

Natural gas production in the U.S. is expected to drop by the fastest pace ever in 2021 as drillers slash spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s sending oil prices to historic lows.

Gas output is poised to fall by 4.4% to average 94.49 billion cubic feet a day next year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook Tuesday. That would be the biggest annual retreat in data going back to 1998. The agency also expects production to slip this year instead of climbing to a record.

The sharp revision is a reflection of “the unprecedented effects of COVID-19 on the level of drilling activity as many producers have already announced plans to reduce capital spending and drilling levels,” the EIA said in the report.

Gas prices have already been strengthening in anticipation of production cuts. The fuel is extracted as a byproduct of oil drilling in places like the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, where shale explorers are pulling back after the crash in crude prices. Gas demand is also expected to take a hit, however. Consumption is poised to drop 3.2% next year, the most since 2003, EIA said.

January gas futures have jumped 15% since March 6 as oil prices plunged on demand destruction from the virus and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. Shares of gas producers have also climbed.