Oil prices tanked 4% on Wednesday as OPEC+ producers unexpectedly delayed a meeting on output planned for Sunday, raising questions about the future course of crude production cuts.

突如其来的石油输出国组织及其盟友（下称OPEC+）关键会议推迟，导致国际油价大跌不止，周三暴跌4%，引发人们对未来原油减产进程的质疑。

Brent crude futures were down $3.39, or 4.1%, to $79.06 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down $3.26, or 4.2%, to $74.51.

WTI原油期货和布伦特原油期货双双重挫超4%，分别报74.41美元/桶、79.01美元/桶。

OPEC+ delayed its ministerial meeting to Nov. 30 from Nov. 26 as previously scheduled, OPEC said in a statement, a surprise development that gave no reason for the postponement.

OPEC官网11月22日发布声明，原定于11月25日至26日举行的OPEC第187次大会、联合部长级监测委员会（JMMC）第51次会议以及第36次OPEC和非OPEC部长级会议（ONOMM）推迟至11月30日举行。该声明没有给出会议推迟的具体原因。

The meeting of OPEC+, which includes Saudi Arabia, Russia and other allies and members of the OPEC group of oil-producing countries, had been expected to consider further changes to a deal that already limits supply into 2024, according to analysts and OPEC+ sources.

据分析人士和OPEC+消息人士透露，包括沙特阿拉伯、俄罗斯和其他盟友以及OPEC产油国集团成员国在内的OPEC+会议预计将考虑对一项已经限制供应至2024年的协议进行进一步修改。

Earlier on Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported that the OPEC+ meeting could be delayed for an unspecified period of time after Saudi Arabia expressed its dissatisfaction with other members about their output numbers.

周三早些时候，彭博新闻社报道称，在沙特阿拉伯对其他成员国的产量表示不满后，OPEC+会议可能会推迟一段时间，具体时间不详。

Analysts had predicted before the delay that OPEC+ was likely to extend or even deepen oil supply cuts into next year. Both Brent and WTI oil benchmarks have fallen for four straight weeks - the former down from near $98 in late September - pressured by rising supplies and concern about demand and a potential economic slowdown.

分析师在推迟消息放出前曾预测，OPEC+可能会将石油供应削减延长甚至深化到明年。布伦特原油和WTI原油基准已连续四周下跌，前者低于9月底的近98美元，这是由于供应增加、对需求的担忧以及潜在的经济放缓。

The two contracts had climbed about 2% on Monday after three OPEC+ sources told Reuters the group, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers, was set to consider more oil supply cuts when it meets on Nov. 26.

在三位OPEC+消息人士告诉路透社，该组织、石油输出国组织及其盟国将在11月26日的会议上考虑更多的石油供应削减后，这两份合同周一上涨了约2%。

"The upcoming meeting has been the key central focus for oil prices for now, with sentiment shrugging off the sharp build in U.S. crude inventories," said Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG, before the meeting delay announcement.

IG市场策略师Jun Rong Yeap在会议推迟宣布之前表示：“即将召开的会议是目前油价的主要焦点，市场情绪对美国原油库存的大幅增加不屑一顾。”。

To support prices, OPEC and its allies will need to not only extend, but increase cuts, said John Evans of oil broker PVM in a note on Wednesday.

石油经纪人PVM的John Evans在周三的一份报告中表示，为了支撑价格，OPEC及其盟友不仅需要延长减产时间，还需要增加减产幅度。

Even if the OPEC+ nations extend their cuts into next year, the global oil market will see a slight supply surplus in 2024, the head of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) oil markets and industry division said on Tuesday.

国际能源署（IEA）石油市场和行业部门负责人周二表示，即使OPEC+国家将减产延长至明年，2024年全球石油市场也将出现轻微供应过剩。

词汇小结：

• tank：彻底失败；破产；倒闭

• ministerial meeting：部长级会议

• benchmarks：衡量基准

• economic slowdown：经济放缓

• surplus：过剩，过剩量；盈余

• International Energy Agency：国际能源署

译：Gleen

材料来源：路透社*配图取自网络，仅供学习分享使用，侵删