據世界能源新聞倫敦報道，航運業消息人士稱，原油交易商迄今在停泊在海上的油輪上儲存了多達8000萬桶原油，由于全球庫存過剩，陸地油庫很快就會被填滿，因此他們還在尋找更多的油輪來儲存原油。

由于疫情蔓延，全球原油需求銳減三分之一，加上沙特阿拉伯和俄羅斯等主要產油國拒絕限制產量，交易商們紛紛涌入儲油庫，造成了據信是歷史上規模最大的原油供應過剩。上一次達到類似水平是在2009年，當時交易商在出清庫存之前在海上儲存了1億多桶原油。

全球共有770多艘超級油輪，每艘最大載油量為200萬桶。航運消息人士估計，目前已有25至40艘超級油輪用于海上原油儲存。海上儲存原油的位置通常包括美國墨西哥灣和新加坡，這兩個地區均是全球主要的原油中心。相比之下，2月份全球只有不到10艘超大型油輪儲存原油。

原油市場目前存在所謂的期貨溢價，即遠期價格高于當前價格。這種市場結構鼓勵交易商將原油儲存起來，希望在未來出售原油中獲得利潤。

船舶經紀商E.A.吉布森的研究主管理查德?馬修斯估計，3月份全球至少有31艘超大型油輪被租出，租期不超過12個月，其中可能包括儲存原油選擇。馬修斯補充說，相比之下，2月份全球僅預訂了4艘12個月或更短時間的超大型油輪，很有可能用于儲存原油。

油輪日費率日前已飆升至超過23萬美元的歷史高點，并在3月12日左右達到了20萬美元的水平。原油交易商必須為長期租船支付溢價。

全球領先的油輪公司Frontline (FRO)首席執行官羅伯特?哈維德?麥克勞德把這種情況形容為“一代人只有一次”。他在一個數字資本鏈接論壇上表示：“這一切現在真的開始了——油輪儲存原油即將改變這個市場，徹底改變2020年。”

希臘Tsakos能源航運公司 (TNP)首席執行官尼古拉?察科斯補充稱，人們對規模較小的阿芙拉級油輪業務也越來越感興趣。察科斯在論壇上表示，“我們是少數幾個經歷強勁周期的行業之一，我們看到人們對海上原油儲存的興趣很大。期貨溢價是存在的。”

貿易消息人士表示，中東地區重要燃料補給和石油中心的阿聯酋富查伊拉地區的儲油罐已經達到了它們原油和石油產品的全部儲存能力。

經紀商Fearnley Securities在一份報告中表示：“在極端浮式儲存經濟的支持下，船東們能夠以極具吸引力的費率將船舶閑置6至12個月。”“我們不會否決在未來6-12個月內將100-200艘超大型油輪撤出市場的提議。”

歐洲大型油輪運營商Euronav首席執行官雨果?德?斯托普在另一份聲明中表示，全球超大型油輪船隊將根據費率提供浮式儲存原油。

李峻 編譯自 世界能源新聞

原文如下：

Oil Storage at Sea Approaching Record Levels

Oil traders are storing as much as 80 million barrels of oil on tankers at sea, with further ships being sought as land storage sites fill up fast due to a global glut of stocks, shipping industry sources say.

Traders rushed for storage after global oil demand collapsed by a third due to the coronavirus outbreak, and as top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have refused to curb output so far, creating what is believed to be the biggest oil glut in history.

The last time floating storage reached similar levels was in 2009, when traders stored over 100 million barrels at sea before offloading stocks.

There are over 770 supertankers in the world - each carrying a maximum of 2 million barrels - and shipping sources estimate that between 25 to 40 are currently being used for floating storage.

Locations typically include the U.S. Gulf and Singapore, where major oil hubs are situated.

This compares with fewer than 10 such vessels - known as very large crude carriers (VLCCs) - in February.

The crude market is currently trading in what is known as contango, where forward prices are higher than immediate prices. This market structure encourages traders to park barrels in storage in the hopes of selling them for a profit later.

Richard Matthews, head of research with ship broker E.A. Gibson, estimated that at least 31 VLCCs had been chartered in March for 12 months or less, with it likely that these included storage options.

This compared with 4 VLCCs booked in February for charters of 12 months or less with likely storage options, Matthews added.

Daily tanker rates have rocketed to record highs of over $230,000 a day this week, and reached the $200,000 a day level around March 12. Traders have to pay a premium for longer term charters.

Robert Hvide MacLeod, chief executive of leading tanker player Frontline (FRO), described the situation as "once in a generation".

"It’s now really kicking off - the storage on ships is about to change this market and change 2020 completely," he told a digital Capital Link forum on Tuesday.

Nikolas Tsakos, chief executive of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TNP) , added that there was also growing interest for the smaller aframax tanker segment.

"We are one of the few industries going through a very strong cycle, we are seeing a lot of interest for storage. The contango is there," he told the forum.

Trade sources said on Wednesday that storage tanks in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, a key bunkering and oil hub in the Middle East, had reached their full capacity for both crude and oil products.

"Owners have been able to put vessels away for 6-12 months at very attractive rates, supported by extreme floating storage economics," broker Fearnley Securities said in a note this week. "We wouldn’t overrule seeing 100-200 VLCCs taken off the market for the next 6-12 months."

Hugo De Stoop, chief executive of major tanker operator Euronav, said separately that the global VLCC fleet would be available for floating storage depending on the rates.