Washington has revealed an ambitious effort to replenish America’s run-down strategic crude reserve following decades of boisterous withdrawals. The Energy Department makes a strategic timing move to take advantage of favorable market conditions and build a stronger national security infrastructure. This is the start of a comprehensive process of refilling the country’s most prized energy asset.
Energy Department begins strategic petroleum reserve filling program
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a new solicitation to buy one million barrels of oil for delivery to the Bryan Mound facility of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The solicitation is under the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which authorized $171 million to initiate the rebuilding of the SPR following its substantial drawdown. Secretary Wright explained this program as fulfilling America’s promises to rebuild its strategic capability and place the reserve on active duty after the previous administration’s highly controversial policy.
The timing is also in alignment with deliberate market conditions and national security requirements. The SPR currently holds approximately 400 million barrels in its capacity of 700 million barrels, a huge strain on America’s energy security system. Solicitation invites bids on spot-price-indexed deals, delivered in December 2025 and January 2026, with single US domestic production sources as the target.
Acquisition parameters target domestic oil sources
All of the notices of acquisition cap purchases to U.S. firms or U.S. operations of foreign firms with oil from domestic origins, supporting American energy independence and promoting domestic oil industry development and employment.
The SPR was critically depleted by the last administration’s shocking 2022 180-million-barrel drawdown, which cost almost $280 million and pushed required infrastructure repairs behind. The record-breaking release imposed record-level wear and tear on storage and injection infrastructure, exacerbating the readiness of the reserve to serve. The drawdown ranked among the largest strategic petroleum releases in U.S. history, depleting America’s energy crisis crude reserve to critically low levels at a time of global energy uncertainty.
Energy officials term the recent drawdown politically driven rather than strategically required, contending it undermined national security for political convenience. The drawdown came when the world energy markets were severely dislocated, exposing America to supply shocks and price volatility that could have been averted with sufficient strategic reserves.
“Following the last administration’s irresponsible drawdown of the SPR for political gain, President Trump pledged to refill and better manage this national security reserve.” – Secretary Wright
Market conditions present the best chance for building a reserve
The Department of Energy tactically purchases this acquisition to capitalize on comparatively low oil prices, achieving maximum taxpayer return in building critical national security facilities. The prevailing conditions in the marketplace offer favorable circumstances for acquiring crude oil on a scale with negligible effects on US energy costs. The administration policy is budget-conscious by buying reserves when it is to their benefit and not in times of market distress or high costs.
Offers for the request for proposal are to be received not later than 11:00 A.M. CT on October 28, 2025, with extremely specific requirements on domestic procurement and American company participation. Reserve replenishment operations under this policy will stimulate domestic energy production while growing the country’s national security readiness for the onset of future energy shortages or geopolitical tension.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Restoration Timeline
Current capacity: 400 million barrels of 700 million barrels total capacity
First-time buying:Â 1 million barrels to deliver in December 2025-January 2026
Financing commitment: $171 million paid under the Working Families Tax Reduction statutes
Bid due date: October 28, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. CT
America’s replenishment of its strategic petroleum reserve is an investment in national energy and security. This first purchase is the start of an across-the-board effort to replenish the country’s emergency stockpile of crude, to provide adequate security against potential future disruption, and in support of domestic energy production within its means.