据路透社12月23日报道，虽然美国原油库存意外增加，加上新冠肺炎疫情救助法案存在不确定性因素，引发市场动荡，但是周三油价仍然保持稳定。

格林尼治标准时间10：46时，布伦特原油期货价格上涨12美分，至每桶50.20美元，涨幅0.2%;美国西德克萨斯中质油原油期货价格上涨9美分，涨幅0.2%，至每桶47.11美元。这两种合约早盘均下跌近1美元。

美国石油协会(API)周二公布，上周美国原油库存增加了270万桶，而分析师此前预估为减少320万桶。石油经纪公司PVM的斯蒂芬·布伦诺克表示:“API的数据敲响了美国石油供应过剩的警钟。”

值得庆幸的是，美元走软遏制了部分跌幅，因为，美元疲软会使原油等以美元计价的大宗商品对其他货币的持有者来说变得更加便宜。

此外，尼日利亚的供应中断也为油价提供了支持。

埃克森美孚(ExxonMobil)上周发布了Qua Iboe原油出口终端发生不可抗力的报告，该终端发生了火灾，两名工人受伤。一位消息人士表示，生产预计将在明年1月初恢复，预计12月和1月的日产量分别为18万桶和15万桶。

值得注意的是，随着一种新型高传染性冠状病毒毒株袭击英国，促使许多国家关闭了与该国的边境，这石油市场对未来需求的复苏仍感到十分紧张。

同时，美国新冠肺炎病例继续激增，仅6天内，新增病例就超过100万例，美国再次发出警告，让人们在圣诞节期间减少出行，这进一步抑制了燃料需求。

王佳晶 摘译自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil steadies as surprise U.S. stockbuild weighs

Oil steadied on Wednesday after earlier losses sparked by an unexpected rise in U.S. crude oil inventories, and as President Donald Trump rattled markets by threatening not to sign a long-awaited U.S. COVID-19 relief bill.

Brent crude futures were up 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $50.20 a barrel at 1046 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 9 cents, or 0.2%, to $47.11 a barrel. Both contracts fell nearly $1 earlier in the session.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude inventories rose by 2.7 million barrels last week, compared with analyst expectations for 3.2 million barrel draw.

“The API set the U.S. glut alarm bells ringing,” Stephen Brennock of oil brokerage PVM said.

Oil also took a hit after Trump threatened not to sign an $892 billion coronavirus relief bill, saying he wants Congress to increase the amount in the stimulus checks that lawmakers approved on Monday.

A weaker U.S. dollar, however, capped some losses. A weak greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities such as crude oil cheaper to holders of other currencies.

Supply disruptions in Nigeria also lent support.

ExxonMobil issued a force majeure on the Qua Iboe crude oil export terminal last week after a fire hit the facility and injured two workers.

A source told Reuters production is expected to resume in early January.

The stream was expected to load about 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December and 150,000 bpd in January.

Oil markets remain jittery about the future recovery of demand as a new, highly infectious strain of the novel coronavirus has hit Britain, prompting a slew of countries to shut their borders to the country.

COVID-19 cases continued to surge in the United States, with more than a million new cases in just six days, and Americans were warned again to avoid Christmas travel, further dampening fuel demand.