據路透社3月25日報道，因燃料需求擔憂再度出現，同時新一輪冠狀病毒大流行封鎖限制，墨爾本油價下跌約2%。一艘巨型集裝箱船擱淺，阻礙通過蘇伊士運河的原油運輸，導致一夜間漲幅調整。

格林尼治標準時間0139，布倫特(Brent)原油期貨下跌1.14美元，跌幅1.8%，至每桶63.27美元，此前一夜上漲6%。

美國西德克薩斯中質原油(WTI)期貨下跌1.27美元，跌幅2.1%，至每桶59.91美元，此前一夜攀升5.9%。

因擔心歐洲疫情控制措施收緊和疫苗延遲阻礙燃料需求增長，本周早些時候價格曾下跌，但由于蘇伊士運河擱淺的船只可能阻擋10艘載有1300萬桶石油的油輪，周三大幅反轉。

周三還有數據顯示美國汽油需求改善，且煉油廠運行率回升，對市場有所幫助。

然而，盡管拖船在努力解救這艘蘇伊士運河擱淺的貨船，但這些支撐市場的因素是短暫的。

"盡管這些(蘇伊士運河堵塞和美國需求)因素是存在的，但這并不能真正消除本周早些時候提出的需求擔憂問題，"聯邦銀行大宗商品分析師Vivek Dhar表示。

"雖然焦點在歐洲，但我們在印度和巴西等地也有不斷上升的COVID-19病例，這些發展中經濟體對石油需求可持續增長確實至關重要。"

印度周三報告了其單日最高的新增感染和死亡人數，并表示發現了一種新的冠狀病毒 "雙重突變"變體。

四位OPEC+消息人士對路透社表示，鑒于持續存在的需求擔憂和價格下跌，石油輸出國組織及其聯盟國(簡稱OPEC+)將在4月1日舉行的會議上把目前的供應抑制措施延續到5月的預期日益升溫。

沈韓曄 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil prices slide as coronavirus lockdown concerns outweigh Suez Canal disruptions

MELBOURNE Oil prices skidded around 2 percent as fuel demand concerns re-emerged alongside fresh coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, trimming overnight gains spurred by the grounding of a giant container ship blocking crude shipments through the Suez Canal.

Brent crude futures slid $1.14, or 1.8 per cent, to $63.27 a barrel at 0139 GMT, after jumping 6 per cent overnight.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped by $1.27, or 2.1 per cent, to $59.91 a barrel, after climbing 5.9 per cent overnight.

Prices had tumbled earlier in the week on worries about tighter pandemic curbs in Europe and vaccine delays stalling growth in demand for fuel, but sharply reversed on Wednesday with the grounded ship in the Suez Canal potentially blocking 10 tankers carrying 13 million barrels of oil.

The market was also helped on Wednesday by data showing U.S. gasoline demand improved and refinery run rates were picking up.

However, those factors supporting the market were short-lived, even as tugs struggled to free the stranded Suez Canal ship.

"As much as those (Suez blockage and U.S. demand) factors were there, it doesn't really erase the demand concerns questions that were asked earlier this week," said Commonwealth Bank commodities analyst Vivek Dhar.

"And while the focus was on Europe, we also have rising COVID-19 cases in places like India and Brazil, developing economies which are really critical to the story for sustainable oil demand growth."

India on Wednesday reported its highest one-day tally of new infections and deaths and said a new "double mutant" variant of the coronavirus had been found.

Given the persistent demand worries and falling prices, expectations are growing that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, will roll over their current supply curbs into May at a meeting scheduled for April 1, four OPEC+ sources told Reuters.