By THE ALASKA STORY
March 12, 2026 – US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced that the United States will release oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of a coordinated international effort aimed at lowering global energy prices.
According to Wright, 32 member nations of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to President Donald Trump’s request to conduct a joint release of oil and refined products from their national reserves. In total, participating countries plan to release 400 million barrels into global markets.
As part of the coordinated action, Trump authorized the Department of Energy to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) beginning next week. The release is expected to take about 120 days to complete based on current discharge rates from the reserve.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, maintained by the federal government, is the world’s largest emergency stockpile of crude oil and is intended to help stabilize markets and protect national security during supply disruptions.
Wright said the action aligns with the administration’s broader energy strategy and emphasized that the release will be accompanied by plans to replenish the reserve.
“President Trump promised to protect America’s energy security by managing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve responsibly and this action demonstrates his commitment to that promise,” Wright said in a statement.
He also contrasted the move with previous energy policies, stating that the United States plans to replace more oil than it releases from the reserve.
“Unlike the previous administration, which left America’s oil reserves drained and damaged, the United States has arranged to more than replace these strategic reserves with approximately 200 million barrels within the next year—20 percent more barrels than will be drawn down—and at no cost to the taxpayer,” Wright said.
The coordinated release comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and concerns about energy supply disruptions tied to conflicts involving Iran and its regional allies. Wright said the administration believes the move will help stabilize markets and counter attempts to manipulate global energy supplies.
“For 47 years, Iran and its terrorist proxies have been intent on killing Americans. They have manipulated and threatened the energy security of America and its allies,” Wright said. “Under President Trump, those days are coming to an end.”
He concluded by asserting that the country’s energy posture remains secure despite the planned drawdown.
“Rest assured, America’s energy security is as strong as ever,” Wright said.
The International Energy Agency has previously coordinated similar reserve releases during major supply disruptions, including during global energy shocks and geopolitical crises affecting oil markets. The new agreement among its member nations represents one of the larger coordinated releases in the organization’s history.
10 thoughts on “US to release 172 million barrels of oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve”
That March 4th column didn’t age well. I thought Chris Wright was a good pick. But seriously anyone have a link to where he explains how he is going to put 20% more oil back within the next year at no cost to taxpayers. He has around 240 days since we will be drawing down for the next 120 days. Biden can be blamed for drawing the reserve down. But during his term it really was not a market for buying oil. If Trump was planning to start a war in the middle east why did he not start filling it. Why didn’t he stick those 80 million barrels of Venezuelan oil in the reserve?
Biden used it and you b*tched. Trump uses it and you praise. So hypocritical.
Biden used it because he decimated domestic energy production and preferred to buy oil from Venezuela while Maduro was funneling dangerous drugs to America with the help of his Chinese cartel gang. There is way too much difference to be comparing the two circumstances for rational minds.
Usually context helps, since you fully lack it you see hypocrisy. When you consider the context, perhaps you will have a different take…likely you will just repeat the same far left talking point as per usual, but perhaps there is a chance.
Meanwhile, in Iran, it is another brilliant “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”, to recycle the immortal (and woefully premature) declaration of Shrub in the second Iraq War.
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(As anyone not beholden to and captured by the Israeli lobby, as most US federal politicians are, could have predicted.)
#SendBarron
#SendHans, since he talks so big
Currently, our reserves are at 60%. The Living End of Democracy said he’d refill the tanks on day one.
I really hope Secretary Wright delivers on that 20% replenishment promise without hitting our wallets, especially with how volatile things are in the Middle East right now. It feels like the first time in years we actually have a proactive strategy for the SPR. On a side note, since we are talking about financial transparency and “no cost to taxpayers,” has anyone here looked into the security audits for international payment platforms lately? I was reading this review of Bullsbet Brasil 2026 at https://guiadebullsbetsbrasil.com/ to see if their PIX integration is actually as secure as they claim for 2026, and it made me wonder if our own domestic digital payment protections are keeping pace with these global standards. We need that same level of accountability in every sector if we want the economy to stay this strong. Thoughts?
I am cautiously optimistic about Secretary Wright’s plan to replenish the SPR by 20%, but I keep wondering about the “no cost to the taxpayer” part regarding the underlying financial infrastructure. With these coordinated international releases involving 32 nations, are we sure our domestic payment audits are staying ahead of global cyber threats? I was looking into some 2026 security reviews for international platforms, specifically this breakdown of 20Bet Chile at https://guiade20betchile.com/ to see how they handle regional KYC and encryption standards, and it made me realize how much we rely on these digital safeguards. Does anyone know if the Department of Energy has released a specific cybersecurity framework for the 2026 replenishment transactions to ensure those “no cost” funds don’t leak through technical vulnerabilities?