How hyperactive policy makers become when the price of oil starts to haunt their dreams. Three weeks ago, the Group of Seven leading industrial countries demanded that oil-exporting nations be ready to pump more of the stuff. That was after a rise in the price from $90 a barrel to $115. This week Saudi Arabia appeared to oblige, amid signs that it had lifted production to 10m barrels a day from about 9.9m. That combined with a fresh stimulus package in Japan to bring the price down towards $110 yesterday. Then there was the oil-price “flash crash” – a $4 plunge in 30 minutes on Monday. If this was any other commodity, an insider trading inquiry would already be under way.
當油價開始成為政策制定者的夢魘，他們會變得何其活躍。三周前，由主要工業(yè)化國家構成的七國集團(G7)要求石油輸出國準備生產更多石油。在那之前，油價從每桶90美元漲到了每桶115美元。本周，沙特阿拉伯似乎出手幫忙了：有跡象顯示，沙特石油日產量已從990萬桶提高到1000萬桶。這個因素與日本的新一輪刺激計劃結合在一起，導致油價在昨日跌向每桶110美元。而且，油價還出現(xiàn)了“閃電暴跌”：本周一，油價在30分鐘內暴跌4美元。如果這里說的是其他任何一種大宗商品，有關部門恐怕早就已經展開內幕交易調查了。