伊朗拒絕了沙特的限產提議

Iran dealt a severe blow to Saudi-led efforts to curb oil production and reverse the two-year-old downturn in crude prices by rejecting a Riyadh offer to cap output, sending Brent down more than 3.5 per cent.

伊朗拒絕了沙特的限產提議，這對以沙特爲首的國家限制石油產量、扭轉油價持續兩年低迷的努力是一個沉重打擊，布倫特原油價格因此下跌逾3.5%。

Ahead of today’s closely watched oil producers’ meeting, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran’s energy minister, said his country was not willing to freeze output until it had regained more than 4m barrels a day of production, heightening tensions between two of the most powerful producers in the region.

在今日受到密切關注的產油國會議召開之前，伊朗石油部長比詹•納姆達爾•贊加內(Bijan Namdar Zanganeh)表示，該國在產量恢復400萬桶/日以上之前不願凍結產量，這突顯出中東兩大產油國之間的緊張關係。

Saudi Arabia signalled it would back a co-ordinated production cut of up to 1m barrels a day to tackle a global glut, but only if Iran froze output at current levels that analysts estimate at 3.6m b/d.

沙特暗示稱，將支持協作減產至多100萬桶/日以解決全球供應過剩問題，但前提是伊朗凍結當前產量水平——分析師們估計伊朗當前日產量爲360萬桶。

Riyadh’s offer comes amid an ever gloomier outlook for Saudi finances, with the government racking up a record budget deficit of nearly $100bn.

沙特是在財政前景日益黯淡的情況下提出上述建議的。該國政府累積的預算赤字達到創紀錄的近1000億美元。

In a drive to find new savings, the government this week announced a 20 per cent cut to both ministers’ salaries and bonuses for public sector employees.

沙特政府本週宣佈部長薪資和公共部門僱員獎金削減20%，以求找到新的節省。

Its willingness to freeze output is a shift from its policy since the start of the oil swoon, when it pushed to keep production high to put pressure on rivals who pump crude more expensively.

沙特願意凍結產量是自此次油價下跌以來重要的政策轉變，當時它推動保持產量高企以打擊生產成本較高的競爭對手。

Iran is just emerging from years of western sanctions against its oil industry and Tehran has said it is not interested in capping output until it reaches pre-sanction levels or 13 per cent of Opec’s total.

伊朗剛剛擺脫西方國家多年來對其石油產業的制裁，該國政府表示，在石油產量恢復至制裁前水平或者達到歐佩克(OPEC)產量總額的13%之前無意限產。

Based on Opec’s current production, 13 per cent translates to about 4.2m b/d, or 600,000 b/d more than Iran currently claims to pump.

按照歐佩克當前產量計算，13%意味着日產量大約爲420萬桶，比伊朗當前宣稱的日產量高60萬桶。

At current levels we are not ready to freeze, Mr Zanganeh said.

贊加內表示：我們不準備凍結當前的產量水平。

It is not on our agenda to reach an agreement in these two days.

這兩天締結協議不在我們的議程上。

The comments sent oil prices down sharply.

這些言辭促使油價大幅下跌。

Brent crude, which has more than halved since mid-2014, was trading $1.68 lower at $45.67 a barrel.

自2014年以來下跌逾50%的布倫特原油價格下跌1.68美元，至每桶45.67美元。

Saudi officials said they had not given up hope of a deal today and were still talking to big producers like Russia.

沙特官員表示，他們不會放棄今日達成協議的希望，仍在與俄羅斯等大型產油國談判。

They hope for a consensus that could be the basis for a deal later this year.

他們希望達成一個共識，爲今年晚些時候締結協議奠定基礎。