WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday authorized the country’s emergency oil reserve to loan 1.5 million barrels of crude to an Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) refinery in Louisiana to relieve fuel disruptions in Hurricane Ida’s wake. Earlier, President Joe Biden directed Granholm to use all tools, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), to keep gasoline flowing in the storm’s aftermath. “It’s important to know that the region hit by it (Ida) is a key center of our nation’s oil production and refining infrastructure…that’s why we’re not waiting to assess the full impact of the storm,” Biden said. The loan to the Baton Rouge refinery is aimed to “alleviate any logistical issues of moving crude oil within areas affected by Hurricane Ida to ensure the region has access to fuel as quickly as possible,” the Energy Department said. Several refineries including Baton Rouge remained cut […]