据普氏能源资讯8月22日报道，为迎接2020年更严格的海洋燃料硫标准，亚洲对低硫燃料油需求强劲，澳大利亚6月份原油出口出现反弹，对新加坡的出口大幅增加，引领了石油市场复苏。

澳大利亚环境与能源部(Department of the Environment and Energy)发布的最新数据显示，澳大利亚6月份出口原油和其他炼油原料815万桶，同比增长12.3%，比5月份高出26.7%。

上周公布的数据显示，新加坡是澳大利亚6月份最大的出口目的地，出口量飙升至277万桶, 比去年同期增长55.5%，比上个月增长66.3%，这是今年迄今为止亚洲石油贸易中心单月的最高出货量。

亚洲市场和行业消息人士称，船用燃料油供应商对澳大利亚低硫重质原油的强劲需求，可能是推动本月出口大幅增长的主要因素。 包括Vincent,Van Gogh 和Pyrenees在内的澳大利亚重质原油被广泛认为是低硫船舶燃料的理想原料。

消息人士补充称，今年迄今为重质原油产品支付的高额现货溢价，反映出是为IMO 2020做准备，低硫燃料油(LSFO)的库存需求激增。

亚洲重馏分油交易商在3月初表示，低硫燃料油和低硫馏分油的库存约为100万吨，据报道，新加坡和马来西亚海域使用了三至四艘超大型油轮储存这些低硫燃料油和低硫馏分油。

普氏能源此前曾报道，到今年5月，这一数量已跃升至300多万吨，其中约有10艘超大型油轮作为浮式存储。据一位直接了解此事的新加坡贸易消息人士称，最近，在新加坡及其周边地区约有12-15艘超大型油轮被用于储存低硫原油。另一位消息人士称，鉴于新加坡的战略位置、基础设施、遵守和执行规则的推动力以及枢纽中心的主导地位，新加坡似乎是向MGO船用轻质燃料油和LSFO转型的“正确地点”。

这个港口城市燃料市场的发展为全球其他海上燃料枢纽提供了经验。

相关数据显示，6月份，澳大利亚对马来西亚的出口较5月份小幅增长2.5%，至168万桶，对中国的出口也略有增长，环比增长1.6%，至659,144桶。对阿拉伯的出口，从去年6月和2019年5月的零产量增至329199桶。对韩国的原油出口量降至143,269桶，为三个月低点，较上年同期下降77.9%，较5月份下降85.5%。与此同时，澳大利亚6月份原油产量环比增长0.8%，同比增长12.8%，达到377万桶的14个月高点。

数据显示，6月份凝析油产量为709万桶，为两个月高点，同比增长48%，比5月份高出9.7%。液化石油气产量飙升至180万桶，为9个月来的高点，同比增长19.7%，环比增长12.2%。

邹勤 摘译自 普氏能源资讯

原文如下：

Australia's crude oil exports rebound in June as Asia seeks heavy sweet oil

Australia's crude oil exports staged a rebound in June, with a sharp increase in shipments to Singapore leading the recovery, amid Asia's robust demand for low sulfur fuel oil blendstock in preparation for stricter marine fuel sulfur requirements in 2020, market participants said Thursday.

Australia exported 8.15 million barrels of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks in June, up 12.3% year on year and 26.7% higher than May, latest data released by Australia's Department of the Environment and Energy showed.

Singapore was Australia's largest export destination for June with volumes surging to 2.77 million barrels, an increase of 55.5% from same period a year earlier and up 66.3% from the previous month, marking the highest monthly shipment to Asia's oil trading hub so far this year, the data released last week showed.

Strong demand for Australian low sulfur heavy crude grades from marine fuel suppliers for fuel oil blending likely played a major role in driving the sharp increase in refinery feedstock exports to Singapore during the month, Asian market and industry sources said.

Australian heavy sweet grades including Vincent, Van Gogh and Pyrenees are widely seen as an ideal feedstock for low sulfur marine fuels.

Lofty spot premiums paid for the heavy sweet grades so far this year reflect the surge in stockpiling demand for LSFO components in preparation for January 2020, when the International Maritime Organization's new sulfur cap for bunker fuel kicks-in, the sources added.

Asian heavy distillate traders, in early March, said the stocks of low sulfur fuel oil and the components were around 1 million mt, with three to four VLCCs reportedly used to store these components in the waters of Singapore and Malaysia.

By May, this volume had jumped to over 3 million mt with about ten VLCCs as floating storage for these low sulfur components, Platts reported previously.

Most recently, around 12-15 VLCCs were already taken up in and around Singapore for storing LSFO, according to a Singapore-based trade source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Another source said that Singapore seemed the 'right place' to make the switch to MGO and LSFO, given its strategic location, infrastructure, thrust towards compliance and enforcement of rules as well as bunker hub dominance.

Singapore is the world's largest bunkering port. Developments in the city-port's bunker market provide cues for other marine fuel hubs globally.

OTHER OUTLETS, PRODUCTION

Elsewhere, exports to Malaysia edged 2.5% higher from May to 1.68 million barrels in June, while shipments to China also rose slightly, up 1.6% month on month to 659,144 barrels, the data showed.

The United Arab Emirates was sent 329,199 barrels, up from zero in June last year and May 2019.

Shipments to South Korea dropped to a three-month low of 143,269 barrels in June, down 77.9% from a year earlier and 85.5% lower from May, the data said.

Meanwhile, crude oil production in Australia rose 0.8% month on month and up 12.8% from a year earlier to a 14-month high of 3.77 million barrels in June.

Condensate output was at a two-month high of 7.09 million barrels in June, up 48% year on year and 9.7% higher than May, the data showed.

The country's LPG production surged to a nine-month high of 1.8 million barrels, up 19.7% year on year and 12.2% higher month on month.