Energy officials say a coordinated international release of oil reserves aimed at stabilizing prices could significantly reduce the amount of crude stored in the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A major release of crude oil from the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), announced as part of an international effort to stabilize energy markets amid conflict involving Iran, could reduce U.S. stockpiles to levels below the lowest point reached during the previous administration.
The planned release involves 172 million barrels of oil from the American reserve, contributing to a broader coordinated effort by members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release a combined 400 million barrels of crude and refined petroleum products. According to reporting by Just the News, the move would lower U.S. reserves below levels recorded during the previous administration.
The Department of Energy confirmed the U.S. contribution as part of the coordinated action.
“Earlier today, 32 member nations of the International Energy Agency (IEA) unanimously agreed to President Trump’s request to lower energy prices with a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of oil and refined products from their respective reserves,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a Department of Energy statement.
Of the global release, 172 million barrels will come from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which stores emergency oil supplies in underground caverns along the Gulf Coast.
When former President Joe Biden entered office, the SPR held approximately 638 million barrels of crude oil. Rising gasoline prices during the conflict in Ukraine led to multiple releases intended to ease pressure at the pump, which ultimately reduced the reserve to less than 347 million barrels.
By early March of this year, the reserve had recovered somewhat. According to government energy data, the stockpile stood at 415,442,000 barrels as of March 6.
The new drawdown would reduce the reserve to roughly 245 million barrels once the full 172 million-barrel release is completed.
Some analysts say the decision reflects the current geopolitical situation rather than domestic economic pressures. Iranian attacks on oil infrastructure and shipping routes have disrupted energy flows in the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is a critical transit route for global energy supplies, carrying roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil and about 4 million barrels of refined petroleum products each day. Recent military activity in the region has severely limited tanker traffic.
Oil markets responded quickly to the disruptions. Crude prices rose sharply from around $60 per barrel, where they had traded for much of the previous year, to more than $100 per barrel in early trading this week. Market benchmarks showed Brent crude above $100 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate traded just above $96.
Some analysts believe the coordinated release of reserves could provide short-term relief, though the effect may be limited relative to global supply needs.
The 400 million barrels being released by IEA members equates to roughly 20 days of normal oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, continued military activity in the region is contributing to uncertainty in energy markets. Reports indicated that two oil tankers were attacked in Iraqi waters, according to coverage by Bloomberg. Additional reporting from Reuters said Iran has warned that oil prices could reach $200 per barrel if the conflict escalates further.
China has also moved to tighten exports of refined fuel products such as gasoline and diesel amid the market turbulence, according to another Bloomberg report.
President Donald Trump said in remarks reported by Axios that he expects the conflict to end soon.
Despite the release of reserves, some analysts question whether the measure will significantly ease long-term supply disruptions.
Energy columnist Clyde Russell wrote in an analysis for Reuters that oil futures markets appear to assume the conflict will stabilize and supply will normalize, but he expressed skepticism that the disruptions will be temporary.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve itself consists of oil stored in underground salt caverns along the Gulf Coast. The caverns are approximately 200 feet wide and more than 2,500 feet deep and were originally designed to hold up to 727 million barrels.
Salt formations are well suited for oil storage because they do not chemically react with petroleum and naturally seal cracks through a process described in geological research published in ScienceDirect.
However, repeated withdrawals over decades have gradually reduced the caverns’ capacity. Geological pressure causes slow deformation of the underground chambers, and studies referenced by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists indicate they may shrink by roughly 2 million barrels annually.
Additional research examining the reserve’s long-term infrastructure was published by the Energy Policy Research Foundation, noting that geological pressure and repeated drawdowns gradually alter the storage structures.
During a budget hearing of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Wright said previous rapid withdrawals had already caused some structural strain within the reserve system. Video from the hearing is available through YouTube.
Economist Peter St. Onge noted on his X account that filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve originally took roughly three decades. Because the infrastructure was designed for rapid emergency releases rather than rapid refilling, restoring the reserve can take significantly longer.
St. Onge said the pipelines feeding oil into the underground caverns move crude much more slowly than those used to release it. Before earlier drawdowns, it took roughly seven times longer to refill the reserve than to empty it.
Following recent withdrawals, he estimated the refill process could now take up to 40 times longer than a release.
If the reserve falls to roughly 245 million barrels after the planned drawdown, analysts estimate it could take close to 18 years to restore the reserve to around 700 million barrels, assuming no additional large-scale withdrawals occur during that period.
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