-- ウッズ・マッケンジーは水曜日、アラブ首長国連邦(UAE)が5月1日にOPEC(石油輸出国機構)から脱退することを決定したことは、今年の原油価格高騰を短期的に緩和する効果は期待できないものの、供給過剰のリスクを高め、早ければ2027年から価格下落につながる可能性があると述べた。 UAEのOPEC脱退は、OPECの生産割当量に不満を抱き、潜在生産量を増やすための投資を行ってきた同国が、長年にわたり増産を強く求めてきた中で行われた。UAEはOPEC加盟国第3位の産油国であり、世界第7位の輸出国である。生産割当量の制限が撤廃されることで、UAEはOPECにとって強力な競争相手となり、イラン戦争からの回復が完了すれば、市場は再び供給過剰状態に陥る可能性がある。 「OPEC加盟国の中で2番目に生産能力の高いUAEの脱退は、重大な出来事です。しかし、UAEとサウジアラビア間の政治的緊張はここ数年高まり続けており、イラン紛争の継続を背景にここ数ヶ月でさらに激化しているため、全く驚くべきことではありません。ホルムズ海峡が再開通したとしても、UAEのOPEC脱退が2026年の市場ファンダメンタルズに与える影響は最小限にとどまるでしょう。UAEを含む湾岸諸国が戦前の生産量に戻るには数ヶ月かかる見込みです。今年以降、UAEの脱退はOPECにとって市場の均衡を保つという課題をさらに複雑化させ、供給過剰による価格下落のリスクを高めることになるでしょう」と、チーフアナリストのサイモン・フラワーズ氏は声明で述べています。 分析会社によると、来年UAEがOPEC、OPECプラス、その他の産油国と市場シェアを巡って競争を始めると、「OPECの自主的な減産解除という現在の政策に挑戦することになる。緊張が高まれば、UAEとOPEC間の市場シェアを巡る競争によって、中期的に原油価格が急落する可能性がある」という。
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