VOA标准英语2012--Falling Oil Prices Prompt Russian Economic Fears
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(六月)
Falling Oil Prices Prompt Russian Economic Fears
Khanty-Mansiysk in Siberia - home to around 70 percent of Russia’s developed oil fields and the source of much of the country’s wealth.
Russia produces more than 10 million barrels of oil per day - making it a major energy player.
Stephen Tindale, an energy economist 1 at the Center for European Reform, said, “Almost half of the Russian government’s revenue comes from various taxes on oil and gas exports.”
Tindale says that leaves the Russian economy highly vulnerable to a fall in oil prices. “It would mean their budget was well out of balance and so would be very serious, short-term, for Putin and the Russian government," he said.
In recent weeks, oil prices have begun falling - from around $125 per barrel in March to around $100 by June.
For an explanation we have to look back to why prices were high at the beginning of the year, says Paul Stevens at Chatham House, an independent policy institute in London. “Oil demand was beginning to pick up again, supply was being constrained 2, we had lost Syria, we had lost Yemen, we had lost South Sudan, Libya was still off the market to a certain extent," he said.
Stevens says demand is now falling, thanks to fears about the world economy - and that could be bad news for Russian exporters.
In addition, Iraq has seen the opening of new oil fields like this one in West Qurna in April. which was developed in partnership 3 with Russian giant Lukoil. Its vice 4 president, Sergei Nikiforov, said, “Today, Iraq and Russia inaugurated the giant oilfield of West Qurna, one of the largest fields discovered in the world.”
Stevens at Chatham House says developments like this are offsetting 6 the impact of recent geopolitical upheavals 7. “The supply side has also improved, partially 8 because Iraq has been coming on but more importantly because other OPEC members, particularly Saudi Arabia, have been increasing their production, in part in an effort to offset 5 the loss of Iranian production because of the embargo," he said.
While the short-term outlook may be for a slow decline in oil prices, Stevens says a single event, such as an Israeli attack on Iran over its nuclear program, could see prices rocket towards $200 a barrel.
- He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
- He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。
- The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
- I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。
- The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
- Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
- He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
- They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
- Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
- He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。
- Dealers, having concluded a forward contract, should always hedge with an offsetting contract. 外汇经营商在签订了一项远期合同之后总是应进行套头交易签订一项相抵合同。 来自辞典例句
- Where does Germany think offsetting shifts into greater external deficits might occur? 在德国看来，这么大的外部赤字应该转移到哪里？ 来自互联网
- the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
- These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。