澳大利亚竞争监督机构：气价竞争威胁到制造商武冈

中国石化新闻网讯 据ZAWYA网墨尔本3月5日消息 澳大利亚的高价天然气格可能迫使东海岸的一些制造业即将关闭，国家竞争监督机构周二表示，必须敦促天然气生产商提高产量并提供合理的价格。

由于东部昆士兰州液化天然气（LNG）出口的启动，澳大利亚竞争和消费者委员会首次标价价格因国内天然气供应不确定而上涨，勘探支出削减和钻井禁令。

“许多澳洲制造商面临保持国际竞争力的巨大压力，”澳洲竞争暨消费者委员会主席Rod Sims在悉尼举行的一次天然气会议上表示，“天然气和电力的高成本，正使这些企业极其艰难，并构成迫在眉睫的威胁。”

尽管面向制造商的天然气报价已从2017年的22澳元/GJ降至10澳元至12澳元左右，但仍比液化天然气出口开始将天然气撤出国内市场之前高出两到三倍。

Sims表示，依赖天然气开展业务的企业和制造商告诉监管机构，他们越来越有可能从东海岸搬迁或关闭业务。

两年前，澳大利亚政府成功地向以康菲石油为首的三家东海岸液化天然气出口商施压，这三家出口商由康菲石油公司和Origin Energy ORG.AX，荷兰皇家壳牌公司和桑托斯公司牵头，以促进当地的天然气供应。但Sims表示，生产商现在需要“立即为制造业提供价格优惠”。

各州还需要采取更多措施，取消全面的钻探禁令，鼓励新的天然气开发。

Sims称:“这对南部各州的天然气用户尤其重要，他们可能会越来越依赖州际或海外的天然气。”

尽管澳大利亚有望成为全球最大的液化天然气出口国，但高昂的天然气价格和供应短缺的前景，已吸引了5家企业向澳大利亚东南部地区进口液化天然气。

吴慧丹 摘译自 ZAWYA

?

原文如下：

Australia's competition watchdog warns high gas prices threaten manufacturers

Australia's儿童饼干 gas prices are so high they could force the imminent shutdown of some manufacturing on the east coast, the nation's competition watchdog said on Tuesday, urging gas producers to step up output and offer reasonable prices.

The warning comes three years after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission first flagged prices were rising amid uncertainty over domestic gas supply, due to the start-up of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the eastern state of Queensland, cuts in exploration spending and drilling bans.

"Many Australian manufacturers are under extreme pressure to remain internationally competitive," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims told a gas拖拉机 conference in Sydney."The high cost of gas, and the high cost of electricity, is making it extremely hard for these businesses and poses an imminent threat."

While gas price offers to manufacturers have dropped to around A$10 to A$12 a gigajoule (GJ) from as much as A$22/GJ in 2017, they are still two to three times higher than they were before LNG exports began pulling gas out of the domestic market.

Businesses and manufacturers dependent on gas for their operations have told the watchdog they are increasingly likely to move from the east coast or shut operations, Sims said.

The Australian government succeeded two years ago in pressuring the three east coast LNG exporters - led by ConocoPhillipsCOP.N and Origin Energy ORG.AX , Ro可视电话yal Dutch Shell RDSa.L and Santos Ltd - to boost local gas supply. But Sims said producers now need to "provide immediate price relief to the manufacturing sector".

States also need to do more to encourage new gas development by lifting blanket drilling bans.

"This is particularly critical for gas users in the southern states, who are likely to become increasingly reliant on gas from interstate or overseas," Sims said.

The high gas prices and prospects of a supply shortage have attracted five proposals to import LNG into southeastern Australia, even as Australia is poised to become the world's top LNG exporter.?