Oil prices jump amid record tanker attacks in Hormuz

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Oil prices climbed Thursday on continued worries about global supply following a record number of tanker attacks that sent crossings through the Strait of Hormuz to a two-month low.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 4.3% to $104.48 a barrel early on Thursday. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, increased by a similar margin to $92.05 a barrel.

Just seven tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, less than half the seven-day average and the lowest number since July 23, Kpler data showed. There have been a record number of attacks on commercial vessels, with 10 tankers struck in the strait between September 28 and October 4, well above the previous weekly high of six, Kpler said in a report Thursday.

The rise in attacks comes even as more crude has been flowing out of the Gulf , highlighting the ongoing risks to crew and cargoes. In the latest attack Wednesday, a tanker reported being struck by “multiple projectiles,” causing casualties, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said.

Upward pressure on oil prices also came from concerns about further supply losses as Hurricane Isais heads towards America’s refining hub on the Gulf Coast. Oil majors Shell and Chevron said they would curtail production in the region and evacuate nonessential personnel.

A major hurricane could cripple US refining when the world can least afford it

Rising oil prices were accompanied by an increase in European natural gas and diesel prices, fanning inflation fears and contributing to a renewed selloff in European bonds given the continent’s reliance on imported energy.

European benchmark natural gas prices neared their recent high from mid-September earlier on Thursday before pulling back. ICE Gasoil Futures, a benchmark for European diesel prices, closed 6% higher on Wednesday after the International Energy Agency said member governments would not add to the 400 million barrels of oil they agreed to release in March.

To date, roughly 325 million barrels of oil have been released, with approximately 100 million more barrels still to be brought to the market, the IEA said in a statement Wednesday, pledging to “accelerate” those releases. Those 100 million barrels would include the diesel release that G7 countries agreed to last week .

“IEA Member governments still have significant levels of publicly held emergency oil stocks – equivalent to around 1.1 billion barrels, including over 200 million barrels of diesel,” the Paris-based energy body said.

“The IEA stands ready to release more of these stocks to the market if and when required.”

Average US diesel prices at gas stations were slightly lower on Thursday than the day before, at $6.28 a gallon. Average US regular gasoline prices were flat on the previous day at $4.36 a gallon, according to AAA data.

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周四，由于油轮袭击事件数量创历史新高，导致霍尔木兹海峡的通行量降至两个月来的最低点，人们对全球供应的担忧持续加剧，油价因此上涨。

周四早盘，全球原油基准布伦特原油价格上涨4.3%，至每桶104.48美元。美国基准西德克萨斯中质原油价格也出现类似涨幅，至每桶92.05美元。

克普勒（Kpler）的数据显示，周二仅有7艘油轮通过霍尔木兹海峡，不到七日平均水平的一半，也是自7月23日以来的最低数字。克普勒周四发布的报告称，针对商船的袭击事件数量创下纪录，9月28日至10月4日期间，共有10艘油轮在霍尔木兹海峡遭到袭击，远高于此前每周6艘的最高纪录。

尽管海湾原油出口量持续增加，但袭击事件却仍在上升，凸显了船员和货物面临的持续风险。英国海事贸易行动局称，在周三发生的最新一起袭击事件中，一艘油轮报告称遭到“多枚炮弹”袭击，造成人员伤亡。

飓风伊萨亚斯逼近美国墨西哥湾沿岸炼油中心，引发了人们对石油供应进一步减少的担忧，这也对油价构成上行压力。石油巨头壳牌和雪佛龙表示，将削减该地区的石油产量并撤离非必要人员。

一场强飓风可能会在世界最需要的时候重创美国的炼油业。

石油价格上涨的同时，欧洲天然气和柴油价格也随之上涨，加剧了人们对通胀的担忧，并导致欧洲债券再次遭到抛售，因为欧洲大陆依赖进口能源。

周四早些时候，欧洲基准天然气价格一度接近9月中旬以来的近期高点，随后回落。作为欧洲柴油价格基准的洲际交易所柴油期货（ICE Gasoil Futures）周三收盘上涨6%，此前国际能源署表示，成员国政府不会增加3月份同意释放的4亿桶石油储备。

国际能源署周三在一份声明中表示，迄今为止，已释放约3.25亿桶石油，另有约1亿桶石油尚未投放市场，并承诺将“加快”石油释放速度。这1亿桶石油将包括七国集团上周同意释放的柴油。

“国际能源署成员国政府仍然拥有大量公开持有的紧急石油储备——相当于约11亿桶，其中包括超过2亿桶柴油，”这家总部位于巴黎的能源机构表示。

“如有需要，国际能源署随时准备向市场投放更多此类库存。”

据美国汽车协会（AAA）数据显示，周四美国加油站柴油平均价格略低于前一天，为每加仑6.28美元。美国普通汽油平均价格与前一天持平，为每加仑4.36美元。