中国石化新闻网讯 据普氏能源资讯7月4日新加坡报道,澳大利亚似乎要进一步巩固其作为东亚 - 大洋洲市场主要原油和炼油厂原料供应商之一的地位,由于一系列新的液化天然气项目的凝析油产量快速增长,该国继续增加其超轻原油出口量。
在过去几年中,许多亚洲炼油厂和石化公司越来越多地依赖于澳大利亚的超轻质原油来供应冷凝水分离器。
据澳大利亚环境与能源部数据显示,大洋洲生产商在1月至4月期间出口了3072万桶凝析油,比去年同期的2763万桶增加了11%,比2017年前四个月的出口量2208万桶增加了39%。
随着该国石油和天然气产量的快速增长,出口量可能会继续走高。
该国最新的液化天然气项目Prelude FLNG在第一季度启动后几个月,凝析油产量正在增加,亚洲最终用户欢迎该项目加入已经供应充足的凝析油市场。
两艘阿芙拉型凝析油货轮计划于8月份从Prelude装载,每艘均由日本的Inpex公司和项目运营商壳牌公司持股。
由于近年来在澳大利亚启动的一系列巨型液化天然气项目,其中包括Gorgon、Wheatstone和Ichthys,Prelude的到来将更加充实已经供应充足的亚洲凝析油市场。
包括Prelude项目,这些新项目估计每月增加4-5百万桶凝析油进入亚洲。环境和能源部的数据显示,澳大利亚的凝析油产量在今年前四个月同比增长51%至2550万桶。
Prelude FLNG项目的液化天然气产能为360万吨/年,凝析油产能为130万吨/年,液化石油气产能为40万吨/年。
与澳大利亚西北大陆架凝析油(世界上最轻的凝析油之一)等传统凝析油相比,Prelude将因其超轻原油或重质凝析油而在亚洲市场更具竞争力。
虽然壳牌公司尚未公布其含量分析,但贸易消息人士表示Prelude的质量可能类似于Ichthys凝析油。Prelude和Ichthys都产于西澳大利西部的Browse盆地附近。
根据项目运营商Inpex的初步分析,Ichthys凝析油被认为是重质凝析油,重力等级约为50 API,硫含量为0.09%,残余产率为15%。
裘寅 编译自 普氏能源资讯
原文如下:
Australia to further consolidate major condensate supplier status in Asia
Australia looks set to further consolidate its status as one of the major crude oil and refinery feedstock suppliers in the East Asia-Oceania market, as the country continues to increase its ultra-light crude exports amid rapid growth in condensate production from a slew of new LNG projects.
Numerous Asian refiners and petrochemical companies have been increasingly relying on Australia for ultra-light crude oil to feed their condensate splitters over the past several years.
The Oceania producer exported 30.72 million barrels of condensate over January-April, up 11% from 27.63 million barrels sold in the same period a year ago, and 39% higher than 22.08 million barrels exported during the first four months of 2017, according to data from Australia's Department of the Environment and Energy.
Export volumes will likely continue to trend higher in tandem with the rapid growth in the country's oil and gas output.
Production of condensate from the country's latest LNG project, Prelude FLNG, was ramping up just months after the project's startup in Q1, with Asian end-users welcoming the project's addition to an already well-supplied condensate pool.
Two Aframax-sized condensate cargoes were scheduled to be lifted from Prelude in August, one each held by equity holders Japan's Inpex and project operator Shell.
Prelude's arrival will add to an already well-supplied Asian condensate market due to a wave of giant LNG projects that have started up in Australia in recent years, among them Gorgon, Wheatstone and Ichthys.
Together with Prelude, these new projects have added an estimated 4-5 million b/month of condensate into Asia. Australia's condensate production jumped 51% year on year to 25.5 million barrels in the first four months of the year, the Department of the Environment and Energy data showed.
The Prelude FLNG project has a production capacity of 3.6 million mt/year of LNG, 1.3 million mt/year of condensate and 0.4 million mt/year of LPG.
Prelude will be competing more with extra-light crude or heavy condensate grades in Asia, as compared with conventional condensates such as Australia's North West Shelf condensate, one of the lightest condensates in the world.
While Shell has not made an assay publicly available, trade sources said Prelude's quality was likely similar to the Ichthys condensate. Both Prelude and Ichthys are produced in close proximity, in the Browse basin off Western Australia.
The Ichthys condensate is considered a heavy condensate, with a gravity of around 50 API, sulfur content of 0.09% and residual yield of 15%, according to a preliminary assay from project operator, Inpex.