OPEC Says World Oil Demand Is Slowing

 　　The oil-producing OPEC cartel has for the fourth straight month trimmed its estimate of world demand for oil for the rest of this year and in 2012.

　　The 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum¹ Exporting Countries said Tuesday that the demand for oil will still grow this year and next, but not by as much as it had projected earlier. OPEC said the world demand will slow as global economies continue to weaken.

　　OPEC said its demand estimate is being reduced because of the sluggish² U.S. economy, the world's largest, as well as Europe's governmental debt crisis and efforts by China and India to curb³ fuel consumption.

　　OPEC, which produces about a third of the world's oil, said it now sees oil demand this year growing by less than a million barrels a day to just under 88 million barrels a day. That cuts 180,000 barrels a day from OPEC's estimate a month ago. It cut 70,000 barrels a day from its 2012 estimate, but still predicts that the overall demand will increase by 1.2 million barrels.

　　With reduced demand, the price of oil has fallen in recent months -- to about $84 a barrel on the New York market on Tuesday, down from a high this year of more than $116 in April.

1 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

2 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

3 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。