? 沙特阿美宣布計劃將其石油日產能提高到1300萬桶，此舉旨在確保全球未來的石油供應  

? 短期內，沙特阿拉伯已明確表示，在當前的歐佩克+計劃之外，沒有任何增加石油產量的意圖  

據美國油價網3月22日報道，沙特石油巨頭沙特阿拉伯國家石油公司（沙特阿美）日前公布了最新的財務業績。 在報告中，沙特阿美宣稱其去年凈利潤增加了兩倍，在油價飆升一年以后，這個業績并不令人意外。

但沙特阿美還表示，該公司計劃將其最大的可持續石油日產能提高至1300萬桶，這可能會讓能源緊缺的西方石油進口商對未來石油供應感到樂觀。 

從長期來看，沙特阿美石油產能的提高肯定會對石油進口國是個好消息。 然而，問題是這些石油進口國現在正處于能源匱乏的狀態——或者更確切地說，在這方面，沙特阿拉伯沒有提供任何幫助。

沙特阿拉伯王國已多次表明立場。 事實上，沙特阿拉伯基本上對白宮要求歐佩克+增加石油產量的呼吁置若罔聞，這應該已經足夠了，但它沒有。 在白宮意識到沙特阿拉伯不肯讓步之前，他們又打了幾個電話，要求越來越高。 如果沙特阿拉伯不讓步，其他歐佩克或歐佩克+成員國也不會讓步。

然后，輪到英國了。 英國首相鮑里斯·約翰遜3月份訪問了沙特阿拉伯和阿拉伯聯合酋長國，正式討論能源市場形勢，而不是像《華爾街日報》報道的那樣，正式要求增加石油產量。  

據《華爾街日報》報道，英國首相的發言人表示，“他對沖突引發的混亂表示深切的擔憂，并強調共同努力改善全球能源市場穩定的重要性。”

然而，接待英國首相的東道主顯然有不同的看法。 《華爾街日報》援引未具名的沙特政府官員的話稱，約翰遜首相此次出訪基本上是空手而歸。 事實上，沙特國家通訊社稱，英國首相與王儲穆罕默德討論了國際地緣政治形勢，但完全沒有提到石油市場。 

以美國和英國為代表的西方，如今發現自己處于進退兩難的境地。 盡管大西洋兩岸的政客們都對可再生能源表現出極大的熱情，但石油和天然氣仍然是維持經濟發展的關鍵。 當然，在兩國開始實施制裁之前，人們可能已經想到了這一點，但很顯然，事情太緊急以致于他們無法停下來思考。

現在，他們將被迫停下來思考。 沙特阿拉伯正在提高石油產能，因為它堅信有關石油需求枯竭的報道被嚴重夸大。 這對所有石油進口國來說是個好消息。 沙特阿拉伯是兩個全球最大原油進口國的主要原油供應國。 而且似乎與他們的政治關系要好得多。 很有可能，利雅得會優先考慮亞洲客戶而不是西方盟友，哪怕只是為了給后者一個教訓。 

李峻 編譯自 美國油價網

原文如下：

Saudi Arabia’s Production Capacity Boost Doesn’t Solve Today’s Problems

·     Saudi Aramco has announced plans to boost its oil production capacity to 13 million bpd, a move that will ensure supply in the future.

·     In the short term, Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it has no intention of increasing oil production beyond the current OPEC+ plan.

Saudi state oil giant Aramco reported its latest financial results last weekend. In the report, the company boasted a twofold jump in net profits for 2021, which was hardly a surprise after a year of soaring oil prices.

But the company also reported plans to boost its maximum sustainable production capacity to 13 million bpd, likely sparking optimism about future supply among energy-starved importers in the West, at least according to this Quartz article.

Over the long term, a boost in Saudi oil production capacity would certainly be good news for oil importers. The problem, however, is that these importers are energy-starved now - or rather, they want to avoid being energy-starved if they decide to increase their sanctions on Russia. In this, no help is coming from Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom has made its stance clear on numerous occasions. The fact that it basically turned a deaf ear on calls from the White House to boost OPEC+ production should have been enough, but it wasn’t. Several more calls, escalating to demands, were made before the White House realized Saudi Arabia wouldn’t budge. And if Saudi Arabia doesn’t budge, neither will the rest of OPEC or OPEC+.

Then it was The UK’s turn. Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this month, officially to discuss the energy market situation, not so officially to ask for more oil, as this Wall Street Journal report said.

The UK’s Premier, according to a spokesperson, “set out his deep concerns about the chaos , and stressed the importance of working together to improve stability in the global energy market,” the WSJ reported.

His hosts, however, apparently saw things differently. The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed Saudi government officials who said that Johnson had basically left empty-handed. Indeed, the Saudi state news agency said the UK’s Prime Minister had discussed the international geopolitical situation with Crown Prince Mohammed but did not mention oil markets at all.

That the love between the West and the Middle East has cooled recently is not news. It has been a prolonged process. Yet it seems that some in the West have failed to grasp the fact that this process has been unfolding.

The West, as represented by the U.S. and the UK, has found itself between a rock and a hard place. For all the renewable energy enthusiasm exhibited by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic, oil and gas have continued to be essential to keep the economy going. Of course, this could have been thought about before the two started with sanctions, but apparently, things were too urgent to stop and think.

Now, they will be forced to stop and think. Saudi Arabia is boosting its oil production capacity because it firmly believes reports of the death of oil demand are strongly exaggerated. This is good news for importers, and this means all importers. Saudi Arabia is a big supplier, two of the biggest importers. And it seems to have much better political relations with them. Chances are, Riyadh will prioritize its Asian clients over its Western allies if only to teach the latter a lesson.