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U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Falls to Lowest Level Since 1982

182 points · 234 comments · thelastgallon

  1. bix6 · · focus · HN ↗
    So seriously, what is the administrations intention here? They’ve used all the missiles and drained all the gas. Are they trying to get the U.S. invaded?
    1. partiallypro · · focus · HN ↗
      It's actually shocking that so many comments don't know that the biggest draw -by far- happened under the Biden administration largely as a result of the Ukrainian War. In 2020 when the SPR wasn't full and oil was literally negative, Congress blocked the administration from buying oil to fill it. Instead they used the SPR for short term storage for oil companies (which was not the administration's original proposal.)

      I get the Iran war part (though the bigger issue there is middle distillerates rather then crude atm), but people were screaming about the SPR drawdown, and lack of buying for 4 years before Trump ever got back into office; and it fell completely on deaf ears.

      1. edg5000 · · focus · HN ↗
        > In 2020 when the SPR wasn't full and oil was literally negative, Congress blocked the administration from buying oil to fill it

        Why???

        1. jasonjayr · · focus · HN ↗
          IIRC Congress was blocking anything Biden or the opposing party wanted to put in place that they had the power to block, and refusing any compromise.
          1. polski-g · · focus · HN ↗
            Trump proposed filing it up in 2020 but Democrats complained about climate change.
        2. culi · · focus · HN ↗
          the oil oligarchs lose political control the bigger the reserves are. By emptying it, they have guaranteed their political power not just on Trump but for years to come
      2. plorkyeran · · focus · HN ↗
        Biden was not the president in 2020.
      3. IAmBroom · · focus · HN ↗
        You've really goofed your dates up.

        Pretty much everything you've said is true, but it happened in 2022. Biden wasn't even POTUS in 2020.

      4. cosmicgadget · · focus · HN ↗
        > lack of buying for 4 years before Trump ever got back into office; and it fell completely on deaf ears.

        So Jan 2021-Feb 2022 Biden didn't top up the SPR, something that definitely makes sense given the fiscal situation.

        From Feb 2022 onwards, oil prices spiked because Russia invaded Ukraine. People started putting stupid "I did this" stickers on gas pumps and Biden drew from the SPR when it was nowhere near empty.

        Trump doesn't refill it, with both houses of Congress, then starts a war with a nation who every military analyst knows could close a huge oil passageway.

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