據路透社9月10日報道，行業消息人士和Refinitiv Eikon的數據顯示，石油巨頭英國石油(BP)暫時租用了一艘超級油輪，以今年以來最低的速度在馬來西亞近海儲存原油。

在油輪費率大幅下跌后，石油巨頭和貿易公司紛紛訂船，而上述租約是最新一例。冠狀病毒病例的復蘇、惡劣天氣和北半球夏季駕車季節的結束減緩了全球石油貿易和航運需求。

其中一位消息人士稱，英國石油公司以每天20500美元的價格租賃了超大型原油運輸船只，為期3個月，并有權以每天22000美元的價格再續簽3個月。

Refinitiv Eikon數據顯示，這艘油輪預計將于周四晚些時候抵達馬來西亞半島西海岸的Linggi港。

今年4月，超大型油輪6個月的日租船費率曾觸及12萬至13萬美元的高點，原因是在第二季度油價和需求暴跌后，交易員紛紛囤積石油，以備日后銷售。在第二和第三季度，超過10億桶石油進入了儲備。

這種被稱為期貨溢價的交易策略，依賴于即期和未來數月之間的巨大價差來彌補存儲成本。

花旗(Citi)分析師在一份報告中表示:“最近租船用于倉儲的誘惑，在很大程度上反映了運費的下降，而非超級期貨溢價的回歸。”

王佳晶 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

BP books oil tanker for storage at lowest rate this year: sources, data

Oil major BP has provisionally chartered a supertanker to store crude oil off Malaysia at this year’s lowest rate yet, according to industry sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon.

The charter is the latest in a flurry of ship bookings made by oil majors and trading houses after tanker rates plunged. A resurgence in coronavirus cases, poor weather and the end of the northern hemisphere’s summer driving season have slowed global oil trade and shipping demand.

BP chartered very large crude carrier (VLCC) Gene at $20,500 per day for three months and has the option to extend another three months at $22,000 per day, one of the sources said.

The tanker is expected to arrive at Linggi port on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia later on Thursday, data on Refinitiv Eikon showed.

The daily rate for chartering VLCCs for six months hit a high of $120,000-$130,000 in April as traders rushed to store oil for later sales after a collapse in oil prices and demand in the second quarter. More than 1 billion barrels of oil entered storage over the second and third quarter.

The trading strategy, known as a contango play, relies on a wide spread between prompt and future months to cover storage costs.

“Much of the recent temptation to lease vessels for storage reflects more the decline in freight rates than a return to super contango,” Citi analysts said in a note.