據彭博社2月9日消息：加拿大原油庫存正在減少，因油砂生產商準備關閉部分業務以進行維護，這可能加劇美國的供應困境。

Wood Mackenzie的數據顯示，自11月初以來，加拿大西部的原油庫存已減少逾1400萬桶，至1月底降至不到2500萬桶。分析師迪倫·懷特在電子郵件中表示，這標志著Wood Mackenzie在一年中這個時候觀察到的最低利用率，約為36%。 

美國最大的外國石油供應商加拿大在新的管道產能上線后，提高了邊境以南的出貨量，但該國的庫存正在減少，因為包括森科爾能源公司、加拿大自然資源有限公司和?？松梨谄煜碌蹏凸驹趦鹊捻敿壣a商計劃最早從下月開始進行重大維修。

加拿大的維修季可能導致全球供應短缺，導致美國指標油價自2014年以來首次沖過每桶90美元，并促使數家華爾街銀行預測今年油價將達到100美元。

森科爾公司的Firebag油砂井場將從5月16日到7月進行維護，第二季度將減少6.5萬桶/天的產量，第三季度將減少2萬桶/天的產量。

帝國石油的大型Kearl油砂礦、Cold Lake井場和至少三個升級項目也將進行工作。

NE2集團數據顯示，加拿大重質原油對西得克薩斯中質原油期貨的折扣已從11月份的逾20美元收窄至每桶14美元。上周，油砂提質機生產的輕質合成原油以自去年4月以來的最大溢價交易。 

馮娟 摘譯自 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.