Sunday, October 11, 2026

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US authorises emergency exchange of 4 million barrels from strategic oil reserve

The US Department of Energy has authorised an emergency exchange of up to four million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to help address supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oman News Agency

info@thearabianstories.com

Sunday, October 11, 2026

WASHINGTON – In an announcement, the department said the exchange is intended to support refinery operations and limit disruptions to fuel supplies as the hurricane affects energy production and infrastructure along the US Gulf Coast.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the department was acting swiftly to help maintain refinery operations and ensure American households and businesses continued to have access to affordable, reliable and secure energy.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on October 9 that hurricane-related evacuations and precautionary shutdowns had halted approximately 1.3 million barrels per day of crude oil production and 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.

The disruptions followed the evacuation of offshore workers and the movement or shutdown of production platforms and rigs ahead of the storm’s anticipated landfall.

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