VOA慢速英語：原油產(chǎn)量居高不下 世界石油價格跌至2009年來新低

石油價格下跌至2009年來的新低。

Brent crude oil, one of several kinds of oil on the world market, dropped below $40 abarrel on Tuesday. However, the main group of oil producing countries has been unable to reduce production to limit supply.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ibrahim Naimi speaks to journalists at a hotel in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Saudi Arabia is OPEC's biggest oil producer.

周二，布倫特原油，世界石油市場上幾種原油中的一種，其價格已跌破每桶40美元。然而，主要原油生產(chǎn)國一直無法降低生產(chǎn)以限制供應。

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met in Vienna last week. OPEC said members should be part of climate change-related talks such as the COP-21 meeting in Paris.

上周，石油輸出國組織在維也納進行會晤。該組織表示成員國應參與到氣候變化談判中，如在巴黎舉行的聯(lián)合國氣候大會。

The group also called on members to maintain, in its words, an "energy dialogue" with countries that produce oil but are not OPEC members. About two-thirds of oil production is carried out by non-OPEC countries.

該組織還呼吁其成員國“繼續(xù)維持”，用其自己的言論而言，即生產(chǎn)石油國家之間的一段“能源對話”，但這些國家并非石油輸出國組織成員。大約三分之二的石油產(chǎn)量是由非石油輸出國組織成員進行生產(chǎn)。

But, the 13 member countries could not agree on any production cuts. OPEC oil production continues at record levels. An OPEC report says the group's oil production increased to over 31 million barrels of oil per day. visit the website www.chinavoa.com to get more information!

但該13個成員國未能就減產(chǎn)達成一致。OPEC石油產(chǎn)量持續(xù)處于創(chuàng)紀錄水平。一項OPEC報告顯示該組織原油產(chǎn)量增加到每天超3100萬桶。

Some experts say OPEC member Saudi Arabia continues its production levels to keep competitors from gaining market share.

一些專家表示，OPEC成員國沙特阿拉伯繼續(xù)維持其生產(chǎn)水平，以防止競爭對手贏得市場份額。

Some producers in the United States use techniques likehydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to increase oil output. However, that method costs more than the traditional drilling techniques used in many other countries. These may include the indirect costs of pollution to ground water or very small earthquakes in some places.

在美國，一些生產(chǎn)商使用像水力壓裂或壓裂技術以增加原油產(chǎn)量。但這種方法的成本比其他許多國家所使用的傳統(tǒng)鉆探技術更高。其中可能包括污染地下水或在一些地區(qū)引起小規(guī)模地震的間接成本。

OPEC says it continues its high production levels because it believes demand will increase in the coming year.

OPEC表示其維持原油產(chǎn)量居高不下，是因為它堅信在未來一年對石油的需求將會增加。

Experts say worldwide demand forcrude, or unprocessed oil, is already about 2 million barrels a day below the current supply. That has led to some markets to have more oil than needed.

專家表示全球對原油或未加工石油的需求每天約200萬桶，已低于目前供應。這導致一些市場有更多超過所需的石油。

That oversupply may grow as international sanctions on Iranian exports are lessened. Iran is an OPEC member.

隨著對伊朗進行國際制裁，減少其出口，供應過剩的情況可能會更加嚴重。伊朗為OPEC成員國。

Indonesiaalso became a full member of the oil group at the December meeting.

在12月份的會議中，印尼也成為該石油組織的正式成員國。

Demand for oil has been decreasing as economic activity in many important areas around the world has slowed. Economic growth slowed in the group of 19 nations that use the euro as money from July to September. Growth in the Eurozone was 0.3 percent during that period.

隨著世界各地許多重要領域的經(jīng)濟活動有所放緩，對石油的需求也已減少。從7月至9月，該組織中使用歐元作為貨幣的19個國家，其經(jīng)濟增長放緩。在同一時期，歐元區(qū)經(jīng)濟增長為0.3%。

Slowing demand in China has also been blamed for low oil prices. China is the world's second-largest economy. Economic growth in China has slowed to a yearly rate of 6.9 percent, the country's lowest growth since 2009.

也有人認為中國需求放緩要歸咎于石油價格走低。中國是世界上第二大經(jīng)濟體。中國經(jīng)濟增長放緩，年增長為6.9%，至2009年來最低水平。

I'm Mario Ritter.

我是馬里奧·里特。

Mario Ritter wrote this report. It includes materials from Jim Randle. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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Words in This Story

barrel –n. a standard measurement for oil

dialogue–n. a discussion or series of discussions that groups or countries have to lessen differences

hydraulic fracturing–n. a process of drilling for oil in which fluids are pumped into the ground in order to get more oil

crude–adj. unprocessed, raw