Opec

• 阿拉伯聯合大公國昨天宣佈退出 OPEC，標誌著在區域危機持續升級之際，與沙烏地阿拉伯之間的歷史性分裂。 • 此一決定正值霍爾木茲海峽因美國海軍封鎖而幾近完全關閉，該封鎖旨在阻止伊朗石油出口。 • 美國正威脅要將中國主要銀行排除在其金融體系之外，以防止處理伊朗石油交易，加劇了全球能源緊張局勢。

Defection is damaging to Saudi Arabia’s prestige – and could strengthen the US hand in the regionThe United Arab Emirates’ decision to walk out of Opec is a political as much as business decision, and will reignite the simmering rows between the UAE and Saudi Arabia – which had been covered up by their shared anger with Iran over its attacks on the Gulf states since the start of the US-Israel war on Tehran.In the short term, leaving the oil producing cartel it joined in 1967 gives the UAE the freedom to respond quickly to a long-term prospect of constrained supplies, and to maximise profit. But it is a decision the UAE has considered before, as UAE and Saudi tensions over production quotas have been longstanding. Continue reading...

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦が、主要な産油国で作るOPEC＝石油輸出国機構から脱退すると、UAEの国営通信が報じました。欧米のメディアは原油の生産方針などでほかの加盟国との対立が生じ、脱退につながったという見方を伝えています。

The Arab oil producer has long expressed frustration with the quotas it has to follow as part of OPEC, the cartel of major state-owned oil producers.(Image credit: Joe Klamar)