2006年VOA标准英语-Oil Industry Defends Big Profits

By Greg Flakus
Houston
27 April 2006
 

Senators, from left, Debbie Stabenow, Richard Durbin and Maria Cantwell discuss rising gasoline prices at an Exxon station on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 26, 2006  
  
U.S. oil companies are reporting record profits as the price of crude oil on the world market remains¹ above $70 a barrel.  Less than 10 years ago, the price was below $20 a barrel. The U.S. Congress is looking into imposing² a windfall profits tax on the companies, but close observers of the energy industry do not favor such a move.

--------------------------------------

When the top U.S. oil companies reported huge increases in profits this week, many consumer advocates cried foul³. At a time when American motorists are paying record-level prices for gasoline, some in the U.S. Congress think the oil company profits should be scrutinized⁴ closely. The U.S. senate Finance Committee is seeking tax return information on top U.S. oil companies from the Internal Revenue Service and some politicians are calling for a windfall profit tax.

Of course, oil companies oppose such a move, citing similar or even higher profit increases in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals⁵, that have not caused an uproar⁶.

Oil industry analysts⁷, however, say a windfall profits tax might be counterproductive.  Bob Tippee, editor of Houston-based Oil and Gas Journal, says large oil company profits could benefit consumers in the end.

"Consumers are not going to cheer oil industry profits when gasoline prices are high, everybody knows that," he said.  "But in fact, those profits will go into the development of future supply that consumers need."

  
  
While some of the money earned by oil companies is paid to shareholders⁸ through dividends¹⁰, much of it is reinvested into exploration, acquisition and production. At its annual meeting here in Houston Wednesday, the directors of the Chevron¹¹ corporation announced a 15.5-percent increase in the dividend⁹, but also outlined plans for increased spending in development. Company executives say production can be expected to increase by three percent a year over the next five years as a result of new discoveries and ongoing¹² development projects.

Bob Tippee says U.S. oil companies would spend more on development if they could go everywhere oil is to be found.

"There are two general problems, one is in the United States, we make the east and west coasts virtually off limits for exploration," he said.  "Companies cannot drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal¹³ plain of Alaska. So, there are political limits in the United States and then, outside the United States, more and more exploration acreage is controlled by national oil companies.

Tippee says the high prices for crude oil in recent years has spurred many state-owned companies to develop more fields and boosted profits for U.S.-based oil services companies that often participate in such projects.

"We are already seeing some projects to increase supplies, especially in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, the big producers are aggressively developing new capacity which will come on stream in the next few years," he added.

Tippee says the increased supply, coupled with an expected slowdown in demand, will eventually move the price of oil lower. He says the important question is whether the demand reduction comes as a result of a worldwide recession set off by high oil prices or from a more moderate economic slowdown.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

3 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

4 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

5 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

9 dividend   

n.红利，股息；回报，效益

参考例句：

• The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。
• The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。

10 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

11 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。