美國頁岩行業上半年現金外流超300億美元
US shale producers reported a cash outflow of more than $30bn in the first half of the year, in a sign of the challenges facing the US’s once-booming industry as the steep drop in the oil price begins to take effect.
美國頁岩油氣生產商報告，今年上半年現金外流超過300億美元。該跡象表明，隨着油價暴跌開始產生影響，這個一度繁榮的行業面臨種種挑戰。
The cash shortfall points to a rise in bankruptcies and restructurings in a sector that has expanded rapidly in the past seven years but has never covered its capital expenditure from cash flow.
現金缺口說明這個行業破產和重組數量增加。該行業在過去7年快速擴張，但其現金流一直不足以覆蓋資本支出。
Capital spending by listed US independent oil and gas companies exceeded their cash from operations by about $32bn in the six months to June, close to the deficit of $37.7bn reported for the whole of 2014, according to data from Factset, an information service.
據信息提供商Factset的數據，今年上半年，獨立的美國上市油氣企業的資本支出超出營運現金流約320億美元，接近2014年全年報告的赤字377億美元。
US oil production fell in May and June, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and some analysts expect it to continue falling as financial constraints limit companies’ ability to drill and complete new wells.
美國能源情報署(US Energy Information Administration)的數據表明，美國石油產量在5月和6月出現下降。一些分析師預計，隨着財務緊張制約企業的鑽井和完井能力，美國石油產量還將繼續下滑。
Companies have sold shares and assets and borrowed cash to increase production and add to their reserves. The aggregate net debt of US oil and gas production companies more than doubled from $81bn at the end of 2010 to $169bn by June 30 this year, according to Factset.
企業已經出售股票和資產，並借入現金來提高產量，增加現金儲備。據Factset的數據，美國油氣生產公司的淨負債總量從2010年底的810億美元升至今年6月30日的1690億美元，增幅超過一倍。
