Spain to release another six days of diesel and kerosene reserves

Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) approved the release of a further 4.4 million barrels of middle distillates, including road diesel, other gas oils and aviation kerosene. The ministry said the amount corresponds to six days of national consumption of those products and can be placed on the market through 15 December. The measure implements the International Energy Agency’s coordinated response to continuing oil-market tensions.

The release is a second phase of Spain’s contribution. The IEA agreed in March to make 400 million barrels available collectively, with Spain’s share set at 11.5 million barrels. Spain’s first phase involved 3.7 million barrels, equal to four days of consumption for a broader basket that included motor and aviation gasoline, diesel, kerosene and fuel oil. The new 4.4-million-barrel tranche is narrower: it consists of middle distillates.

MITECO said the latest tranche will come from the industry’s minimum-security stocks, without drawing on CORES strategic reserves. The ministry linked the action to market disruption following the war in the Middle East and cited the IEA’s 15 October assessment that oil-market tensions persisted, particularly for middle distillates such as diesel. The release does not quantify an expected effect on Spanish retail fuel prices.

Spain’s remaining contribution will be released on a schedule and with a product mix determined later, following continuing monitoring by the ministry, industry operators, the IEA and the European Commission. The ministry notice records an authorized supply action; it does not say that the full volume had already reached consumers on 22 October. The stated six-day equivalent applies to the specified products, not to all petroleum consumption in Spain.

The ministry’s notice implements order TED/1100/2026, published in Spain’s official gazette on 22 October. It authorizes the sale of specified minimum-security stocks; it does not describe a state purchase or a change in ownership of strategic reserves. The ministry expressly excludes CORES strategic stocks from this tranche.

The difference between the product baskets matters when comparing the phases. The first release covered several fuel categories and was described as four days of consumption for that basket. The later action covers only middle distillates and is described as six days for those products. These product-specific day equivalents should not be added to infer six or ten days of coverage for Spain’s total oil consumption.

The 15 December date is the outer limit in the authorization, not a statement that the entire tranche will be released on one day. The ministry says the rest of Spain’s commitment will follow a later schedule informed by market monitoring.