据世界石油2月2日消息称，在市场实物货物的主要交易窗口期间，壳牌抢购了10多年来数量最大的北海石油，这有迹象表明供应急剧收紧。
这家欧洲最大的石油公司周一在30分钟的时间内购买了5批原油，在此期间，交易员提出买卖原油，以确定公布的基准原油价格。据监测该窗口的贸易商称，该公司又进行了七次竞价，但都没有找到卖家。
甚至在壳牌采取行动之前，石油市场就已经走强。价格一直处于一种被称为现货溢价的陡峭模式，这实际上意味着交易员愿意支付高额溢价以获得即时供应。周二，受沙特阿拉伯在2月和3月大幅减产的推动，布伦特原油期货飙升至每桶逾57美元的11个月新高。
壳牌公司是世界上最大的石油贸易商，过去曾在北海采取大胆举措，指出它需要这些石油来满足其庞大的全球炼油系统和亚洲客户的需求。
根据彭博汇编的数据，壳牌购买了布伦特原油、奥赛伯格原油、Forties原油和两件Ekofisk原油，这是至少自2008年末以来单家公司最大的一次采购。
此次收购正值BFOET出货量下滑之际。根据彭博社看到的装运计划，这5个等级的原油在3月份的日产量将降至77.4万桶的六个月低点。
最近几天，与北海市场相关的关键金融工具大幅飙升。
曹海斌 摘译自 世界石油
原文如下：
Shell’s North Sea crude buys indicate sharply tightening supply
Royal Dutch Shell snapped up the largest amount of North Sea oil in over a decade during the market’s main trading window for physical cargoes, underpinning signs of sharply tightening supplies.
Europe’s biggest oil company purchased five cargoes on Monday during a 30-minute period during which traders offer to buy and sell cargoes to determine benchmark crude prices published. It made a further seven bids that didn’t find sellers, according to a trader monitoring the window.
Even before Shell’s move, the oil market had been strengthening. Prices have been trading in a steep pattern known as backwardation -- effectively meaning traders are willing to pay hefty premiums to get hold of immediate supplies. On Tuesday, Brent futures soared to a fresh 11-month high of more than $57 a barrel, buoyed by Saudi Arabia making deep unilateral cuts to its oil production in February and March.
Shell, the world’s largest physical oil trader, has made bold moves in the North Sea in the past, pointing out that it needs the barrels for its own giant global refining system and to satisfy demand from customers in Asia.
Shell bought Brent, Oseberg, Forties and two Ekofisk cargoes, the largest purchases by a single company since at least late 2008, according to data compiled by Bloomberg since then.
The purchases come at a time when BFOET shipments are set to drop. Combined flows of the five grades will fall to a six-month low of 774,000 barrels a day in March, according to loading plans seen by Bloomberg.
Key financial instruments tied to the North Sea market have surged in recent days.
