美石油高管称页岩油产量将反弹

A leading figure in the US oil industry has insisted the shale slowdown is temporary and rejected claims by Saudi Arabia that it was succeeding in squeezing American shale producers.

美国石油业一位领军人物坚持认为，页岩油产量下滑是临时的，他拒绝接受沙特阿拉伯有关成功排挤美国页岩油生产商的说法。

Harold Hamm, chief executive of Continental Resources, rejected claims by a Saudi official, reported in the Financial Times yesterday, that the lower oil price had deterred investment in higher-cost sources of oil, such as shale.

英国《金融时报》昨天报道称，沙特一名官员声称，较低的油价阻碍了成本较高的石油（比如页岩油）的投资。大陆资源公司(Continental Resources)首席执行官哈罗德•汉姆(Harold Hamm)驳斥了这种说法。

“They want to stop shale oil,” he told the FT. “They might for six months but not for the rest of time.”

“他们希望阻止页岩油，”他向英国《金融时报》表示，“他们也许在6个月期间得逞，但不会永远如此。”

He also argued that the Saudi comments would be likely to strengthen political support in the US for a relaxation of the country’s decades-old ban on crude oil exports.

他还认为，沙特官员的评论很可能会加强美国政界对松绑实行数十年的原油出口禁令的支持。

OPEc, the producers’ cartel, kept output steady in November, despite the plunge in crude prices, in effect relinquishing its traditional role of adjusting production to support prices. Saudi Arabia later said its aim was to put pressure on high-cost producers such as the US shale drillers, though it denied seeking to target American companies directly.

尽管原油价格暴跌，但产油国的卡特尔联盟——石油输出国组织(OPEC)于去年11月保持产量稳定，实际上放弃了其调整产量以支撑油价的传统角色。沙特阿拉伯后来表示，其目标是向成本较高的生产商（比如美国页岩油开采商）施加压力，尽管沙特否认直接针对美国公司。

The weakness in the oil price has curtailed drilling activity in US shale. But Mr Hamm reiterated his view that a price of about $70 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate — the US benchmark crude — which is currently trading at about $61, would be enough to stimulate increased activity and production growth.

油价疲软使美国页岩油开采活动减少。但是汉姆重申了自己的观点，即美国原油基准西德克萨斯中质原油(West Texas Intermediate)只要达到约70美元/桶（目前约为61美元/桶），就足以刺激开采活动增加以及产量增长。

“[The Saudis] need to be a ­little slow to gloat,” he said.

“（沙特人）需要等一阵才有资格幸灾乐祸，”他称。