据彭博社2月9日消息：加拿大原油库存正在减少，因油砂生产商准备关闭部分业务以进行维护，这可能加剧美国的供应困境。

Wood Mackenzie的数据显示，自11月初以来，加拿大西部的原油库存已减少逾1400万桶，至1月底降至不到2500万桶。分析师迪伦·怀特在电子邮件中表示，这标志着Wood Mackenzie在一年中这个时候观察到的最低利用率，约为36%。 

美国最大的外国石油供应商加拿大在新的管道产能上线后，提高了边境以南的出货量，但该国的库存正在减少，因为包括森科尔能源公司、加拿大自然资源有限公司和埃克森美孚旗下帝国石油公司在内的顶级生产商计划最早从下月开始进行重大维修。

加拿大的维修季可能导致全球供应短缺，导致美国指标油价自2014年以来首次冲过每桶90美元，并促使数家华尔街银行预测今年油价将达到100美元。

森科尔公司的Firebag油砂井场将从5月16日到7月进行维护，第二季度将减少6.5万桶/天的产量，第三季度将减少2万桶/天的产量。

帝国石油的大型Kearl油砂矿、Cold Lake井场和至少三个升级项目也将进行工作。

NE2集团数据显示，加拿大重质原油对西得克萨斯中质原油期货的折扣已从11月份的逾20美元收窄至每桶14美元。上周，油砂提质机生产的轻质合成原油以自去年4月以来的最大溢价交易。 

冯娟 摘译自 彭博社

原文如下：

Canadian Crude Inventories Shrink in Threat to U.S. Supplies

Canadian crude inventories are dwindling as oil-sands producers prepare to shut some operations for maintenance, potentially adding to U.S. supply woes

Crude stockpiles in Western Canada have fallen by more than 14 million barrels since early November, to less than 25 million at the end of January, according to Wood Mackenzie data. At about 36% of storage capacity, this marks the lowest utilization rate observed by Wood Mackenzie during this time of year, analyst Dylan White said by email. 

Canada, the U.S.’s biggest foreign oil supplier, has boosted shipments south of the border after new pipeline capacity came online, but the country’s stockpiles are shrinking as top producers including Suncor Energy Inc., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Imperial Oil plan major maintenance starting as early as next month.

Canada’s maintenance season could contribute to a global supply shortfall that has sent benchmark U.S. oil prices surging past $90 a barrel for the first time since 2014 and has prompted several Wall Street banks to predict $100 oil this year.  

Suncor’s Firebag oil-sands well site will undergo maintenance from May 16 to July that will reduce production by 65,000 barrels a day in the second quarter, and by 20,000 in the third, according to the a local union and company announcements. 

Imperial’s massive Kearl oil sands mine, Cold Lake well site and at least three upgraders will also undergo work as well. 

Canadian heavy crude’s discount to West Texas Intermediate futures have narrowed to $14 a barrel from more than $20 in November, NE2 Group data show. Last week, light synthetic crude, produced in an oil sands upgrader, traded at its biggest premium to futures since April.