据油价网7月3日报道，路透周一对六位亚洲炼油消息人士的调查显示，预计沙特阿拉伯8月将下调输往亚洲的原油价格，以反映市场走势。

根据路透社的调查，全球最大的原油出口商沙特阿美公司(Saudi Aramco)将把沙特旗舰级阿拉伯轻质原油(Arab Light)的官方售价(OSP)与7月份相比降低约0.50美元/桶。

沙特阿拉伯通常在每个月的5号公布下个月的OSP，而大多数其他中东大型原油出口国通常都会遵循沙特阿拉伯的定价政策。

上个月，沙特阿拉伯将其7月份面向亚洲的旗舰级阿拉伯轻质原油的OSP每桶提高了0.45美元，比阿曼/迪拜的平均价格高出3.00美元，中东原油的价格是根据阿曼/迪拜的平均价格定价的。7月份原油价格相对于阿曼/迪拜基准价格的溢价为6个月来最高。

价格上涨令市场感到意外，市场原本预计价格会下降。

在7月价格上涨的前一天，欧佩克+生产商决定将目前的减产持续到2024年底，而欧佩克的最大生产商沙特阿拉伯表示，将在7月自愿减产100万桶/日，降至900万桶/日左右。沙特能源大臣萨勒曼表示，削减可能会延长到7月以后。

根据路透社的调查，亚洲炼油厂预计8月份沙特将下调阿拉伯特级轻质油、阿拉伯轻质油和阿拉伯中质油的官方售价，而一些炼油厂预计阿拉伯重质油的价格将上调。

上月的意外涨价降低了亚洲炼油商的炼油利润率，这些炼油商现在期望沙特降价。

路透社调查中的一名受访者表示，沙特需要削减价格以反映市场走势。在过去的几个月里，他们有点偏离了现实。

郝芬 译自 油价网

原文如下:

Saudi Arabia Expected To Cut Oil Prices To Asia

Saudi Arabia is expected to reduce the price of its crude oil going to Asia in August to reflect market movements, a Reuters survey of six Asian refining sources showed on Monday.  

Saudi Aramco, the world’s top crude oil exporter, is set to reduce the official selling price (OSP) for the flagship Saudi grade, Arab Light, by around $0.50 per barrel compared to the loadings for July, according to the Reuters poll.   

Saudi Arabia typically announces on the fifth of each month the OSPs for the following month and its pricing policy is generally followed by most of the other large Middle Eastern crude oil exporters.

Last month, Saudi Arabia raised the OSP for its flagship grade Arab Light for Asia for July by $0.45 per barrel to a premium of $3.00 over the Oman/Dubai average, off which Middle East crude for Asia is priced. The price for July was the highest premium against the Oman/Dubai benchmark in six months.

The price hike came as a surprise to the market, which had expected a cut in prices.

A day before the price hike for July, the OPEC+ producers decided to keep the current cuts until the end of 2024, while OPEC’s top producer, Saudi Arabia, said it would voluntarily reduce its production by 1 million bpd in July, to around 9 million bpd. The cut could be extended beyond July, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said.  

For August, Asian refiners expect the Saudis to cut the OSPs for Arab Extra Light, Arab Light, and Arab Medium, while some refiners expect Arab Heavy prices to be raised, according to the Reuters poll.

Last month’s unexpected price hike has reduced refining margins at the Asian refiners who now expect the Saudis to cut prices.

“Saudi needs to trim prices to reflect the market movements. They have gone a bit too far from the reality in the past few months,” one respondent in the Reuters survey said.