The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which was established in 1975 as a reaction to the 1973 oil embargo, is now at its lowest level since December 1984. Ultimately, the SPR is not as important today as it was in the past, in large part that is because the U.S. is no longer heavily reliant on oil imports. Historically the SPR tends to grow during Republican administrations and fall during Democratic administrations, although it did fall by 10% under Trump. What is the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)? What are the implications of depleting the SPR, which the U.S. has been doing now since 2016? Further, what has been the impact of the rapid drawdown of the SPR that has taken place this year? Let’s discuss. SPR 101 In December 1975, with memories of gas lines fresh on the minds of Americans as a result of the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, […]