-- (最終2段落に価格を更新し、UAEのOPEC脱退に関する記述を追加。) WTI原油は火曜日、上昇して取引を終えた。イランとの戦争終結への期待が薄れ、ホルムズ海峡の閉鎖が続く中、米国指標価格は3週間ぶりに1バレル100ドル台に迫った。 6月渡しのWTI原油は3.56ドル高の1バレル99.93ドルで引けた。取引時間中に一時100ドル台を突破したが、その水準を維持できなかった。一方、6月渡しのブレント原油は2.58ドル高の110.81ドルで取引を終えた。 週末にパキスタンで開催予定だったイランと米国の協議は中止となった。また、イランが月曜日に、米国の港湾封鎖解除と核開発計画に関する協議延期と引き換えにホルムズ海峡を再開するという提案を行ったが、トランプ大統領はこれを拒否した。イランは2月28日、米国とイスラエルによる攻撃を受け、ホルムズ海峡を封鎖した。同海峡はペルシャ湾岸諸国が供給する世界の石油需要の20%を占める要衝であり、その封鎖は史上最大の供給ショックを引き起こし、戦争開始以来、原油価格は49%上昇した。 「ホルムズ海峡の再開に向けた進展の兆しが見られない中、原油価格は上昇を続けた。米国とイランによる封鎖により、同海峡を通過する石油の量はほぼゼロにまで減少している。世界的な供給逼迫の深刻さに対する懸念は高まり続けており、精製燃料市場の逼迫により、ディーゼル燃料とジェット燃料の価格はすでに1バレル200ドルに迫っている」とサクソバンクは指摘した。 ホルムズ海峡の封鎖は、湾岸産油国に依存するアジア諸国が利用可能な原油を巡って競争を繰り広げているため、原油のスポット価格を押し上げている。価格高騰はインフレを加速させ、供給不足が需要破壊を招き、経済成長を阻害することで、世界的な景気後退のリスクを高めている。 「ホルムズ海峡が5月中に再開されなければ、警鐘は鳴り響くだろう。原油と石油製品のスポット価格は上昇の一途をたどるだろう。そして、6月か7月までに十分な再開が実現しなければ、世界が石油消費量を供給量に近い水準まで削減せざるを得なくなるような、深刻な危機に陥るリスクは非常に高い」と、SEBリサーチのチーフアナリスト、ビャルネ・シールドロップ氏は述べている。 また、火曜日には、OPEC第3位の産油国であり、世界第7位の石油輸出国であるアラブ首長国連邦(UAE)が、5月1日にOPECから脱退すると発表した。これにより、UAEは生産能力を大幅に下回る生産量を制限していたOPECの割当制度から解放されることになる。 「OPECとOPECプラス同盟の努力に改めて感謝の意を表し、その成功を祈る。我々はOPEC加盟期間中、全ての人々の利益のために多大な貢献と、それ以上の犠牲を払ってきた。しかし、今こそ国益が求めること、そして投資家、顧客、パートナー、世界のエネルギー市場に対する我々の責務に力を注ぐ時が来た」と、同国政府は声明で述べた。
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