據8月6日Oil Monster消息：油價周四持平，努力保持前一交易日創下的五個月高位，因第二波疫情引起的燃料需求擔憂超過了美元的下跌。

格林威治時間01:48時，美國西德克薩斯中質原油期貨下跌3美分，至每桶42.16美元，跌幅0.1%，布倫特原油期貨上漲6美分，至每桶45.23美元。

美國能源信息署(EIA)報告，美國原油庫存降幅遠超預期，周三，兩份基準合約上漲逾1％，至3月6日以來的最高水平，結束了為期四天的上漲行情。

不過，投資者仍對美國成品油庫存上升持謹慎態度，因美國央行官員表示，成品油庫存回升正在放緩經濟復蘇。美國是全球最大的石油消費國。

EIA數據顯示，包括柴油和取暖油在內的餾分油庫存攀升至38年以來的最高水平，而汽油庫存意外地連續第二周上漲。

荷蘭國際集團周四在一份報告中稱：“在需求停滯、產品過剩的情況下，很難對石油市場做出過于積極的預測。”

EIA計算出的汽油需求仍保持在每天約860萬桶，比去年同期下降10％左右。盡管如此，最近美元的下跌支撐了油價的上漲。由于石油期貨以美元計價，因此原油價格往往會上漲以抵消疲軟的貨幣。

馮娟 摘譯自 Oil Monster

原文如下:

Oil Prices Struggle to Hold Five-Month High Amid Pandemic Worries

Oil prices were unchanged on Thursday, struggling to hold onto five-month highs reached in the previous session, as fuel demand worries caused by a second wave of coronavirus infections outweighed declines in the U.S. dollar.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures were down 3 cents, or 0.1%, at $42.16 a barrel at 0148 GMT, while Brent crude LCOc1 futures rose 6 cents to $45.23.

The two benchmark contracts rose more than 1% on Wednesday to their highest since March 6, completing a four-day rally, after the Energy Information Administration reported a much bigger than expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles. [EIA/S]

However, investors remained wary of rising U.S. refined product inventories at a time when U.S. central bankers said the resurgence in cases was slowing the economic recovery in the world’s biggest oil consumer.

EIA data showed distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, climbed to a 38-year-high, and gasoline inventories unexpectedly rose for a second week in a row.

“It is difficult to get overly constructive towards the oil market with demand having stalled and this product overhang,” ING Economics said in a note on Thursday.

The U.S. EIA calculated gasoline demand remains around 8.6 million barrels per day, around 10% lower than a year earlier, just as the U.S. driving season, which ANZ Research called the “world’s biggest seasonal demand period”, was winding down.

Still, recent declines in the U.S. dollar have supported higher oil prices. Since oil futures are priced in dollars, crude prices tend to rise to offset the weaker currency.

“Since oil is priced in dollars, that is good for oil,” AxiCorp market strategist Stephen Innes said in a note.

The dollar logged its biggest monthly percentage fall in a decade against a basket of six currencies .DXY in July and a Reuters poll found analysts expect it to continue falling into next year.