沙特阿拉伯5个月来首次上调其向客户出售的原油价格，这也让沙特阿拉伯与石油输出国组织(Opec，简称：欧佩克)其他成员国展开价格战的说法不攻自破。
沙特阿拉伯国家石油公司(Saudi Aramco)称，针对亚洲客户的基准阿拉伯轻质原油售价较12月交货的迪拜/阿曼(Dubai/Oman)合约价格的折扣将为每桶10美分，低于11月折扣值，11月的折扣为1.05美元。
关于全球供应过剩的担忧，再加上需求放缓，致使上月全球基准油价降至近4年来最低水平。自6月中旬达到每桶115美元以来，国际油价基准之一布伦特(Brent)原油价格已累计下跌25%，美国油价基准西德克萨斯中质原油(West Texas Intermediate)也创下类似跌幅。
上月，沙特阿拉伯连续第四个月下调官方售价，使得一些分析师猜测，沙特阿拉伯在亚洲发起价格战，以争夺市场份额。但其他分析师表示，沙特阿拉伯正对客户需求做出回应。
石油专家称，沙特周一的举措反映了亚洲国家（特别是中国）最近的需求。
过去几周，中国石油天然气集团公司(China National Petroleum Corp)的交易部门一直在大举买入石油，在全球油价跌至近4年最低水平之际，该公司购入数百万桶中东原油。
价格报告数据显示，今年10月，中联油(Chinaoil)购入逾2000万桶迪拜、阿曼和Upper Zakum品级的原油，其中很多购买来自中国国有石油公司中石化(Sinopec)的子公司中联化(Unipec)。
石油市场专家表示，作为全球最大能源消费国，中国正利用原油价格大幅下挫的机会，充实其战略储备。（中国进出口网）
Saudi Arabia has increased the price it charges customers for its crude oil for the first time in five months, undermining the argument that the kingdom has launched a price war with fellow members of the Opec oil cartel.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, said it would sell its benchmark Arab light to customers in Asia at a discount of 10 cents a barrel to the Dubai/Oman contract in December, up from a discount of $1.05 in November.
Concerns about a global supply glut amid weaker demand drove benchmark oil prices to their lowest level in almost four years last month. Since reaching $115 a barrel in mid June, Brent, the international oil marker, has fallen 25 per cent, while West Texas Intermediate, the US equivalent, is down by a similar amount.
Saudi Arabia cut its official prices last month for the fourth consecutive month, fuelling speculation among some analysts that the kingdom had embarked on a price war in Asia to fight for market share. Other analysts said, however, that Riyadh was responding to customer demand.
The move on Monday reflected recent demand from Asia, particularly China, said oil specialists.
The trading arm of China National Petroleum Corporation has been on a huge buying spree over the past few weeks, snapping up millions of barrels of Middle East crude as global oil prices fell to the lowest level in almost four years.
Price reporting data showed ChinaOil has bought more than 20m barrels of Dubai, Oman and Upper Zakum grades in October, many of them from Unipec, the subsidiary of Chinese state oil company Sinopec.
Oil market experts have suggested that China, the world’s largest energy consumer, is taking advantage of the steep dro in crude prices to fill its strategic reserves.
