加拿大艾伯塔省提高5月和6月的原油产量上限

据路透社艾伯塔报道，加拿大产油大省艾伯塔省政府周一表示，将在5月将原油日产量限制提高2.5万桶/日，6月将进一步提高2.5万桶/日（即5万桶/日）。

石油产量限制的增加意味着，到6月份，石油公司的产量将限制在371万桶/日。

艾伯塔省要求油企今年开始减产，以缓解出口管道的拥堵，而该拥堵则导致原油在储存方面出现瓶颈，加拿大重质原油的折扣幅度扩大到创纪录的水平。

艾伯塔省省长Rachel Notley在一份声明中表示："这项临时政策对于减少石油价格差异至关重要，同时我们继续执行中期计划，通过铁路运输更多的石油，并在我们争取使所有艾伯塔人拥有的资源达到全部价值的过程中领导新管道的长期收费。” 

该政府表示，生产限制的增加是由于气候变暖减少了帮助油砂沥青通过管道流动所需的稀释剂量，从而增加了产能。

该政府表示，提前两个月给予生产限制，使能源行业和市场在作出决定时有更大的把握。

一些生产商如MEG能源公司支持减产，因为此举推高了价格，但遭到了包括Suncor能源公司和Imperial石油公司在内的综合生产商的反对，因为它们的炼油业务得益于廉价的原油。

反对者还抨击政府利用铁路运输原油的方式不经济，并加剧了加拿大原油市场的动荡。

上周五，Imperial取消了在艾伯塔省北部耗资26亿美元的油砂项目，指责政府干预市场造成的不确定性。

艾伯塔省租赁了4400辆铁路车辆，以将每天12万桶的原油从该省运出，并缓解输油管道的堵塞，首批运输将于7月开始。

詹晓晶    摘自   路透社

原文如下：

Canada's Alberta increases crude output limit for May and June<

The Canadian oil-producing province of Alberta will increase crude production limits by 25,000 barrels per day in May and a further 25,000 bpd in June, the government said on Monday.

The increases mean that by June, oil companies will be limited to 3.71 million bpd of production.

Alberta mandated production cuts this year to ease congestion on export pipelines that resulted in crude getting bottlenecked in storage and the discount on Canadian heavy crude widening to record levels.

“This temporary policy has been critical to reducing the oil price differential while we move ahead with our medium-term plan to ship more oil by rail and lead the long-term charge for new pipelines as we fight to get full value for the resources owned by all Albertans,” Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement.

The government said the increase in production limits comes as warmer weather reduces the amount of diluent needed to help oil sands bitumen flow through pipelines, increasing capacity.

The government said giving production limits two months in advance gives the energy industry and markets greater certainty when making decisions.

Some producers like MEG Energy (MEG.TO) supported curtailments because the move boosted prices, but it was criticized by integrated producers including Suncor Energy (SU.TO) and Imperial Oil (IMO.TO) whose refining operations were benefiting from cheap crude.

Critics also blasted the government for making crude by rail shipments uneconomic and adding to volatility in the Canadian crude market.

On Friday, Imperial canceled a $2.6 billion oil sands project in northern Alberta, blaming the uncertainty caused by government intervention in the market.

Alberta is leasing 4,400 rail cars to ship 120,000 bpd of crude out of the province and ease pipeline congestion, with the first shipments due to begin in July.