Removing US crude oil export restrictions would likely increase crude prices and decrease consumer fuel prices, the Government Accountability Office said in a recent report . It also called for a reexamination of the size of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The report said studies project that removing existing crude export restrictions would raise US production, which averaged 8 million b/d in April, by 130,000-3 million b/d from 2015 to 2035. US crude prices could rise $2-8/bbl as a result, bringing them closer to international levels, it indicated. “At the same time, studies and some stakeholders suggest that US prices for gasoline, diesel, and other consumer fuels follow international prices,” the report said. This suggests that allowing more US crude exports would increase global supplies, which is expected to lower international prices and subsequently reduce consumer fuel costs, […]