據彭博新聞社2023年5月23日報道，由于交易商對沙特能源大臣薩勒曼向賣空者發出的警告進行了評估，從而抵消了美國債務上限談判缺乏實質性進展的影響，油價升至每桶73美元附近。

這位沙特阿拉伯最高能源官員在卡塔爾經濟論壇(Qatar Economic Forum)上表示：“我一直建議他們采取行動，他們在4月份確實采取了行動?！边@種潛在的威脅足以推動西得克薩斯中質原油價格上漲2.5%，創下近一周以來的最高漲幅，并明顯偏離了整體市場情緒。由于債務上限危機的解決方案仍難以找到，整體市場情緒出現了下跌。

Raymond James的分析師帕維爾·莫爾查諾夫表示，雖然聽到沙特能源大臣向原油賣空者發出警告可能很有趣，但最終重要的是沙特阿拉伯，更廣泛地說，更重要的是歐佩克做什么，而不是他們說什么，行動勝于雄辯。

沙特阿拉伯是歐佩克+聯盟的事實上的領導者，是5月生效的供應削減令全球原油市場感到驚訝的國家之一。幾位歐佩克代表表示，現在沒有必要采取進一步行動，因為已經實施的限制措施將有助于收緊全球市場。不過，薩勒曼向來以策劃出其不意的干預而聞名。

今年迄今為止，原油價格下跌了約9%，原因是經濟復蘇乏力，以及美聯儲最激進的貨幣緊縮行動打壓了市場情緒。面對制裁，產能大國的原油出口仍保持強勁，沒有顯示出該國堅稱正在減產的跡象。

價格：

紐約7月交割的西得克薩斯中質原油價格每桶上漲86美分，報收于每桶72.91美元。

布倫特原油7月份結算價每桶上漲85美分，報收于每桶76.84美元。

李峻 編譯自 彭博新聞社

原文如下：

Oil Rises as Traders Assess Saudi Minister Warning

Oil rose to near $73 as traders evaluated a warning from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman to short-sellers, offsetting a lack of tangible progress in US debt-limit talks.

“I keep advising them that they will be ouching — they did ouch in April,” Saudi Arabia’s top energy official said at the Qatar Economic Forum. The perceived threat was enough to send West Texas Intermediate climbing as much as 2.5% — the most in nearly a week — and notably diverging from broader market sentiment, which fell as a solution to the debt-ceiling crisis remains elusive. 

“As amusing as it may be to hear the Saudi energy minister issue a warning to oil short-sellers, what ultimately matters is what Saudi Arabia, and, more broadly, OPEC, do rather than what they say,” said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the OPEC+ cartel, was among nations that surprised the global crude market with a supply cut that took effect this month. Several OPEC delegates have said there’s no need for further action now as curbs already in place will help tighten global markets. Still, Prince Abdulaziz has been known for orchestrating surprise interventions.

Crude has retreated by about 9% so far this year as lackluster recovery since the lifting of Covid restrictions and the US Federal Reserve’s most aggressive monetary tightening campaign in a generation weigh on sentiment. the largger country's oil exports have also remained robust in the face of sanctions, with flows not showing signs of the output cuts the country insisted it was making.

Prices:

WTI for July delivery rose 86 cents to settle at $72.91 a barrel in New York.

Brent for July settlement gained 85 cents to settle at $76.84 a barrel.