據油價網1月9日消息稱，在2022年從戰略石油儲備（SPR）中提取超過2.21億桶石油后，美國在新的一年里很難補充油庫，美國能源部(DoE)以未能使納稅人受益為由拒絕了新年首批報價。

據彭博社和路透社報道，美國能源部目前已收到幾份2月份以補充SPR為目標的購買報價。但是，這些報價因過于昂貴或未能滿足其他要求而被拒絕。

2023年2月份的計劃是購買300萬桶原油，理想情況是在油價跌至每桶70美元左右時購買。這個300萬桶的試點項目將為賣家提供未來交付的固定價格，這與美國能源部的正常操作程序形成鮮明對比，后者在沒有固定價格合同的情況下購買石油以加快交付。

目前，WTI的交易價格約為每桶75至76美元，美國能源情報署(EIA)周一發布的新數據顯示，SPR又減少了80萬桶。

據彭博社援引未透露姓名的“知情人士”消息稱，美國能源部將推遲原定于2月份的采購計劃，并開始采用一種新的固定價格報價方式。

美國能源部周五在新聞機構發表的一份聲明中說：“能源部只會選擇符合所需原油規格的投標，而且價格對納稅人來說是一筆好交易。在對最初提交的文件進行審查后，能源部將不會為2月份的交付窗口做出任何更多選擇?！?/p>

這些被拒絕的投標引發了人們的猜測，即重新填滿儲備油庫將是一項挑戰。

美國戰略石油儲備已達到1984年以來的最低水平，盡管美國能源部一直努力，但填補SPR的計劃可能對賣家沒有足夠的吸引力。

此外，《華爾街日報》推測，美國能源部可能沒有足夠的資金來完全補充SPR。據《華爾街日報》報道，美國能源部的購買額度為480億美元。以每桶70美元的理想價格計算，它將有足夠的資金將SPR補充至4.4億桶。

曹海斌 摘譯自 油價網

原文如下：

Washington Has Trouble Refilling The SPR After 220 Million Barrel Draw

After drawing over 221 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in 2022, Washington is having a tough time refilling it in the New Year, with the Department of Energy (DoE) rejecting the first offers on the grounds that they failed to benefit taxpayers. 

The DoE has by now received several offers for February purchases to refill the SPR, according to both Bloomberg and Reuters. However, those offers have been rejected as too expensive or failing to meet other requirements. 

For February, the plan was to purchase 3 million barrels, ideally when oil dropped to around $70 per barrel. This 3-million-barrel pilot program would have given sellers a fixed price for future deliveries and is in contrast to the DoE’s normal operating procedure, which had seen it purchase oil for faster delivery without fixed-price contracts. 

Right now, WTI is trading around $75/$76 per barrel, and new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Monday shows another 0.8 million barrel draw from the SPR. 

According to Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter”, the DoE will now postpone its originally planned February purchases and embark on a new approach for fixed-price offers. 

“DOE will only select bids that meet the required crude specifications and that are at a price that is a good deal for taxpayers,” the DoE said in a Friday statement carried by news agencies. “Following review of the initial submission, DOE will not be making any award selections for the February delivery window.”

The rejected bids are prompting speculation that refilling the SPR will be challenging, at best.

The plan to fill the SPR, which has reached its lowest level since 1984, might not be attractive enough to sellers, despite the DoE’s efforts at enticement. 

Additionally, the Wall Street Journal speculates that the DoE may not have enough funding to refill the SPR completely. According to WSJ, the DoE has $.48 billion in purchasing power. At the desired $70 per barrel, that would give it enough funding to refill the SPR to 440 million barrels.