OREANDA-NEWS. August 28, 2017. President Donald Trump's administration said today it is ready to release oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) if needed, as Hurricane Harvey threatens critical energy infrastructure in the US Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf coast.

The US Energy Department (DOE) did not outline the specific preparations it is making, as weather forecasters warned the hurricane could dump more than 20 inches (51cm) of rain on Houston and other energy hubs along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. But the government said it is monitoring the storm closely and is prepared to order a release from the emergency stocks.

DOE "stands ready to provide assistance as deemed necessary, to include any release of the SPR," the agency said today.

The SPR had a total inventory of 678.9mn bl, as of 18 August, across four storage sites in Texas and Louisiana that consist of more than 60 underground caverns. Those sites were constructed in the 1970s and have a maximum drawdown capability of 4.4mn b/d, although test sales in recent years have revealed transportation bottlenecks near the SPR sites.

DOE last released oil in the SPR in response to a supply crunch in 2011, with the US drew down 30.7mn bl as part of a coordinated effort with other members of the International Energy Agency in response to production disruptions in Libya.