VOA慢速英语：原油产量居高不下 世界石油价格跌至2009年来新低

石油价格下跌至2009年来的新低。

Brent crude oil, one of several kinds of oil on the world market, dropped below $40 abarrel on Tuesday. However, the main group of oil producing countries has been unable to reduce production to limit supply.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ibrahim Naimi speaks to journalists at a hotel in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Saudi Arabia is OPEC's biggest oil producer.

周二，布伦特原油，世界石油市场上几种原油中的一种，其价格已跌破每桶40美元。然而，主要原油生产国一直无法降低生产以限制供应。

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met in Vienna last week. OPEC said members should be part of climate change-related talks such as the COP-21 meeting in Paris.

上周，石油输出国组织在维也纳进行会晤。该组织表示成员国应参与到气候变化谈判中，如在巴黎举行的联合国气候大会。

The group also called on members to maintain, in its words, an "energy dialogue" with countries that produce oil but are not OPEC members. About two-thirds of oil production is carried out by non-OPEC countries.

该组织还呼吁其成员国“继续维持”，用其自己的言论而言，即生产石油国家之间的一段“能源对话”，但这些国家并非石油输出国组织成员。大约三分之二的石油产量是由非石油输出国组织成员进行生产。

But, the 13 member countries could not agree on any production cuts. OPEC oil production continues at record levels. An OPEC report says the group's oil production increased to over 31 million barrels of oil per day. visit the website www.chinavoa.com to get more information!

但该13个成员国未能就减产达成一致。OPEC石油产量持续处于创纪录水平。一项OPEC报告显示该组织原油产量增加到每天超3100万桶。

Some experts say OPEC member Saudi Arabia continues its production levels to keep competitors from gaining market share.

一些专家表示，OPEC成员国沙特阿拉伯继续维持其生产水平，以防止竞争对手赢得市场份额。

Some producers in the United States use techniques likehydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to increase oil output. However, that method costs more than the traditional drilling techniques used in many other countries. These may include the indirect costs of pollution to ground water or very small earthquakes in some places.

在美国，一些生产商使用像水力压裂或压裂技术以增加原油产量。但这种方法的成本比其他许多国家所使用的传统钻探技术更高。其中可能包括污染地下水或在一些地区引起小规模地震的间接成本。

OPEC says it continues its high production levels because it believes demand will increase in the coming year.

OPEC表示其维持原油产量居高不下，是因为它坚信在未来一年对石油的需求将会增加。

Experts say worldwide demand forcrude, or unprocessed oil, is already about 2 million barrels a day below the current supply. That has led to some markets to have more oil than needed.

专家表示全球对原油或未加工石油的需求每天约200万桶，已低于目前供应。这导致一些市场有更多超过所需的石油。

That oversupply may grow as international sanctions on Iranian exports are lessened. Iran is an OPEC member.

随着对伊朗进行国际制裁，减少其出口，供应过剩的情况可能会更加严重。伊朗为OPEC成员国。

Indonesiaalso became a full member of the oil group at the December meeting.

在12月份的会议中，印尼也成为该石油组织的正式成员国。

Demand for oil has been decreasing as economic activity in many important areas around the world has slowed. Economic growth slowed in the group of 19 nations that use the euro as money from July to September. Growth in the Eurozone was 0.3 percent during that period.

随着世界各地许多重要领域的经济活动有所放缓，对石油的需求也已减少。从7月至9月，该组织中使用欧元作为货币的19个国家，其经济增长放缓。在同一时期，欧元区经济增长为0.3%。

Slowing demand in China has also been blamed for low oil prices. China is the world's second-largest economy. Economic growth in China has slowed to a yearly rate of 6.9 percent, the country's lowest growth since 2009.

也有人认为中国需求放缓要归咎于石油价格走低。中国是世界上第二大经济体。中国经济增长放缓，年增长为6.9%，至2009年来最低水平。

I'm Mario Ritter.

我是马里奥·里特。

Mario Ritter wrote this report. It includes materials from Jim Randle. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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Words in This Story

barrel –n. a standard measurement for oil

dialogue–n. a discussion or series of discussions that groups or countries have to lessen differences

hydraulic fracturing–n. a process of drilling for oil in which fluids are pumped into the ground in order to get more oil

crude–adj. unprocessed, raw