据化工网1月18日消息：韩国海关总署近日发布的数据显示，2020年12月，韩国对美国原油进口同比下降67.9%，这是自2015年韩国开始购买北美原油以来的最大降幅。
海关数据显示，去年12月，当地炼油商进口了583162吨(427万桶)美国原油，而2019年同期进口了1332万桶，进口量连续第八个月下降。美国12月的出口量也比11月的654万桶下降34.7%。
2020年全年，美国原油进口量降至1.0408亿桶，较2019年的1.389亿桶下降24.5％。进口量大幅下滑主要归因于北美出口产品的价格竞争力下降，以及国内对成品油的需求减弱。
炼油厂消息人士表示，几年前，北美基准的WTI原油价格相对布伦特和迪拜的价格有很大折扣，但这种折扣在过去几个月已经消失，这促使韩国炼油商大幅削减对美国轻质低硫原油的采购。
韩国炼油商购买的大多数美国原油都是轻质低硫原油，包括WTI Midland和Eagle Ford，但由于国内对汽油、航空燃油和柴油的需求低迷，这些公司不愿大量购买轻质和中等馏分含量高的炼油原料。
相反，去年12月，韩国从其最大供应国沙特阿拉伯进口的原油同比增长60.3%，至442万吨，即3240万桶，而2019年同期为2021万桶。这是自去年9月以来连续第4次出现增长。
海关数据显示，韩国作为全球第五大原油购买国，去年12月共进口1133万吨原油(8305万桶或268万桶/天)，较上年同期的8947万桶下降7.2%。
2020年全年，该国的原油进口量较2019年下降8.7％，至9.786亿桶。
国有的韩国国家石油公司（KNOC）的数据显示，11月韩国原油库存同比下降5.5％，至4158万桶，而上年同期为4400万桶。该国11月成品油总库存为6008万桶，同比下降5.4％，上年同期为6353万桶。
由于持续的冠状病毒大流行期间对石油产品的需求不振，韩国的炼油厂和凝析油分厂在11月加工了7629万桶原油，较上年同期的9173万桶下降16.8％。
冯娟 摘译自 化工网
原文如下：
SOUTH KOREA data: Dec US crude imports mark biggest drop of 67.9%
Seoul—South Korean imports of US crude oil tumbled 67.9% year Local refiners imported 583,162 mt, or 4.27 million barrels, of US crude in December, compared with the 13.32 million barrels they received in the same month of 2019, and the cutback also marks the eighth consecutive monthly decline, the customs data showed.The December shipments from the US were also down 34.7% from 6.54 million barrels received in November.
For the full year 2020, US crude imports fell to 104.08 million barrels, down 24.5% from 137.89 million barrels in 2019.
The sharp decline for the year was largely attributed to less competitive prices of North American export grades and weakening domestic demand for refined oil products, according to refinery trading sources based in Seoul.
North American benchmark WTI used to trade at a steep discount to Brent and Dubai a few years ago, but such discounts have dissipated over the past months, which have prompted South Korean refiners to aggressively cut back Majority of US crude that South Korean refiners purchase consist of light sweet grades, including WTI Midland and Eagle Ford, but these companies are reluctant to buy high volumes of the light and middle distillate-rich refinery feedstock due to dismal domestic demand for gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
On the contrary, South Korea's crude imports from its top supplier Saudi Arabia jumped 60.3% year South Korean refiners favor grades from their traditional Middle Eastern suppliers such as Saudi Arabia because of the relatively shorter voyage time compared with others such as the US, while the companies see their staple diet of Persian Gulf grades as the most reliable and economical feedstock option in times of market uncertainty, a refinery official said.
In total, the world's fifth-biggest crude buyer, imported 11.33 million mt (83.05 million barrels or 2.68 million b/d) of crude in December, down 7.2% from 89.47 million barrels a year earlier, the customs data showed.
For full-year 2020, the country's crude imports dropped 8.7% from 2019 at 978.86 million barrels.
South Korea's crude stockpiles fell 5.5% year South Korean refiners and condensate splitters processed 76.29 million barrels of crude in November, down 16.8% from 91.73 million barrels a year earlier, due to tepid demand for oil products amid the protracted coronavirus pandemic.
Final oil data for December will be released later this month by KNOC.
