Energy / WORLD

U.S. authorizes up to 4 million barrels in emergency SPR exchange

The Energy Department approved exchanges of up to 2 million barrels each for ExxonMobil and BP America to address weather-related Gulf supply disruptions.

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The U.S. Department of Energy on October 10 authorized an emergency exchange of up to 4 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The department said the action was intended to address supply disruptions caused by severe weather in the Gulf of America. It authorized exchanges of up to 2 million barrels each for ExxonMobil and BP America.

The companies are to return the borrowed crude in 2027 with additional premium barrels; DOE said the exchanges would replenish the reserve at no additional cost to taxpayers. ExxonMobil’s exchange will accelerate deliveries of crude previously awarded from the SPR, according to the department. The authorization sets a ceiling for an emergency exchange; the release does not say that the full volume was drawn or that the disruptions were fully resolved.

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Timeline

Authorized emergency reserve exchange

DOE emergency crude-oil exchange announcement of October 10, 2026.

  1. · Occurred

    Exchange authorized for up to 4 million barrels

    Up to 2 million barrels each for ExxonMobil and BP America.

Methodology

These are authorization ceilings stated by the source, not evidence of actual withdrawals or deliveries.

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  • United States · Place role: Coverage · Place type: Country or area · Location precision: Regional
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    • Explicit preserved editorial country/region; no city or national centroid inferredwww.energy.gov ↗
Taxonomy version: IPTC Media Topics 2026-Q2

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