欧佩克大幅增加石油勘探投资				Opec steps up search for new oil
控制全球75%石油储量的石油输出国组织(OPEC，欧佩克)昨天透露，为了应对石油价格高涨，该组织最重要的会员国去年的钻井数量比2003年增加了7.5%。该组织年度统计公报也显示，去年欧佩克11个会员国运营的钻井平台数增加了18.8%，而一年前几乎下降了6%。				Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the cartel controlling 75 per cent of the world's oil reserves, yesterday revealed that its most important members had drilled 7.5 per cent more wells last year than in 2003 in response to the oil price boom. Opec's annual statistical bulletin also showed that the number of rigs in operation within the 11-member cartel rose 18.8 per cent last year after dropping by almost 6 per cent a year earlier.
据石油服务公司贝克休斯(Baker Hughes)称，今年8月中东有248个钻井平台在工作，是1988年以来的最高数字，比20世纪90年代的平均数字多100个。欧佩克发布上述消息时，石油消费国正寻求推卸责任，否认导致高油价的原因与他们有关。有人指责说，正是由于石油消费国缺乏对炼油厂的投资，以及在限制对诸如运动型多功能车这样的大排量、燃油效率低汽车的需求方面进展缓慢，才导致了油价高企。				There were 248 rigs operating in the Middle East in August, the most since November 1988 and 100 more than the average during the 1990s, according to oil services company Baker Hughes. Opec's news came as consuming countries sought to deflect the blame for high oil prices from their own lack of investment in refining capacity and slow progress in curbing demand for large, fuel-inefficient cars such as sports utility vehicles.
欧洲各国财长昨天在曼彻斯特开会时呼吁欧佩克增产。英国财政大臣戈登•布朗(Gordon Brown)表示，他曾经亲自敦促沙特供应更多石油。				Meeting in Manchester yesterday, Europe's finance ministers called on Opec to increase output. Gordon Brown, UK chancellor, said he had personally urged Saudi Arabia to supply more oil.
推动油价上涨的一个因素是：石油消费国无力增加炼油产能，这部分是因限制性的政府批准程序所致。飓风卡特里娜突出表明闲置的炼油产能非常少。风暴使10%的美国炼油产能停工。油价猛涨超过70美元一桶，在美国许多加油站，汽油价格已暴涨至每加仑3美元以上。				One factor driving oil prices higher has been the inability of consuming countries to increase refinement capacity, in part because of restrictive government approval processes. Hurricane Katrina highlighted how little spare refinement capacity there is. The storm shut down 10 per cent of US capacity. Oil prices soared past $70 a barrel and petrol jumped to more than $3 a gallon at many US pumps.
欧佩克长期坚持认为，高油价很大程度上是炼油瓶颈造成的。实际石油桶数的供应和价格数据表明，不存在石油短缺问题。				Opec has long maintained that much of the high oil price results from refinery bottlenecks. Supply and price data for real barrels of oil indicate there is no shortage of oil.
译者/李裕