據彭博社休斯頓報道，油價低于零的余波時下正在以前所未見速度加速美國石油勘探作業的驟降。

根據貝克休斯公司日前公布的最新統計數據，美國陸上油田的鉆井作業出現了14年來的最大跌幅。就在幾天前，WTI價格跌至每桶-40.32美元，這是原油價格迄今為止前所未聞的暴跌。

自3月中旬以來，由于全球各地燃料需求下降和疫情造成的金融危機愈演愈烈，美國已有45%的在用鉆機處于閑置狀態，這是美國有史以來最嚴重的連續6周在用鉆機數的減少。就在去年，這個行業還無法以足夠快的速度找到工人或設備來滿足勘探作業的需求。由于勘探企業取消更多合同，放棄一些項目以等待油價崩盤結束，這一行業遭受的全面破壞可能會進一步惡化。

貝克休斯公司公布的統計數據顯示，美國鉆探公司在4月24日當周，閑置了60部在用鉆機，美國全國范圍內在用的鉆機數量減少到了378部。按百分比計算，4月24日當周在用鉆機數減少比例是自2006年2月以來最糟糕的。

位于西德克薩斯州和新墨西哥州的二疊紀盆地當周在用鉆機減少數占美國總減少數的62%，這對該行業來說是個不祥之兆，因為該地區多年來一直是美國僅有的幾個仍在盈利的地區之一。

德克薩斯州南部、北達科他州、懷俄明州、科羅拉多州和俄克拉荷馬州的頁巖勘探也有所下降。

貝克休斯公司的統計數據公布時，美國基準原油期貨交易價格約為每桶17美元。就在今年1月的第二周，油價還在每桶65美元以上。

李峻 編譯自 彭博社

原文如下：

Onshore drilling in the U.S. drops the most in 14 years

The fallout from sub-zero oil prices is accelerating the slump in U.S. crude exploration to a pace never seen before.

Drilling in onshore American fields fell the most in 14 years this week, according to data released just days after benchmark New York-traded crude futures sank to minus $40.32 a barrel in a heretofore unheard of crash.

As the financial wreckage piles up from cratering fuel demand and Covid-19 lockdowns around the world, drillers have idled 45% of U.S. oil rigs since mid March -- the worst-ever six-week decline. The wholesale devastation of a sector that as recently as last year couldn’t find workers or equipment fast enough to meet demand promises to worsen as explorers cancel more contracts and abandon projects to wait out the rout.

Drillers idled 60 rigs this week, shrinking the active nationwide fleet to 378 machines, according to data from Baker Hughes Co. on Friday. On a percentage basis, this week’s decline was the worst since February 2006.

The Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico accounted for 62% of this week’s shutdowns, an ominous signal for the industry because that region has for many years been one of the only areas where production still turned a profit.

Exploration also declined in shale formations in South Texas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Oklahoma.

Benchmark U.S. crude futures were trading around $17 a barrel when the Baker Hughes tally was released. As recently as the second week of January, they were above $65.