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IEA Agrees to Record Release of Emergency Oil Reserves
Move Is Effort to Calm Surging Prices
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PARIS — The International Energy Agency agreed March 11 to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects of theIran waron energy markets and the halt of cargo shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Paris-based organization saidit will make 400 million barrels of oil availablefrom its members’ emergency reserves, which is more than double the 182.7 million barrels that the IEA's 32 member countries released in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said. “But, to be clear, the most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran hasattacked commercial shipsacross the Persian Gulf in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oil-rich region asglobal energy concerns mountand effectively stopping cargo traffic in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of all oil is shipped from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean. Iran has alsotargeted oil fields and refineriesin Gulf Arab nations, aiming to generate enoughglobal economic painto pressure the U.S. and Israel to end their strikes.
According to the IEA, export volumes of crude and refined products are currently at less than 10% of prewar levels. Birol noted that the situation in natural gas markets is also very challenging, with Asia the most severely affected region.
“There are few options to replace the missing LNG cargoes from Qatar and the Emirates,” he said. “Global energy supply has been reduced by around 20%."
Today, Member countries unanimously agreed today to carry out the largest ever oil stock release – making 400 million barrels from their emergency reserves available amid market disruptions from the Middle East conflict.
Read more 👉 — International Energy Agency (@IEA)
A Push to Lower the Price at the Pump
The IEA's announcement came a day after energy ministers from the Group of Seven — the leading industrialized nations of Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and Britain — met in Paris to look at ways to bring down prices. It also came just before G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, met March 11 via videoconference.
During his introductory remarks during the video call, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the IEA decision to release emergency oil stocks, saying it is “very important” to do everything possible to increase global production and that the 400 million barrels amounted to the equivalent of “20 days of the volume being exported through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The amount pledged by the G7 nations alone comprises 70% of the total, including 14.5 million barrels France will contribute, Macron said, noting that the IEA decision was prepared at the G7 level.
Member Countries Pledge Help
Germany, Austria and Japan said earlier March 11 that they would release parts oftheir oil reservesin response to the IEA's request for members to release 400 million barrels.
The IEA reserves were established in 1974 following the Arab oil embargo, and IEA member countries currently hold more than 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks, with a further 600 million barrels of industry stocks held under government obligation.
Germany’s economy ministry, Katherina Reiche, said the IEA asked Germany to release 2.64 million tons — roughly 19.7 million barrels — of its oil reserves.
She said it would take a couple of days before the delivery of the first quantities.
“Germany stands behind the IEA’s most important principle of mutual solidarity,” Reiche said.
The German government also said it will introduce a measure to allow gas stations in Germany to raise fuel prices no more than once a day. The federal government wants to introduce this as quickly as possible, Reiche said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much oil Austria was releasing.
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Starting March 13 in Austria, price increases at gas stations will be allowed only three times a week, said the country’s economy minister, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer. He said Austria was releasing part of its emergency oil reserve and extending the national strategic gas reserve, adding: “One thing is clear: in a crisis, there must be no crisis winners at the expense of commuters and businesses.”
IEA nations have released emergency stocks on five previous occasions: During the 1990-1991 Gulf War, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, during the Libyan civil war in 2011, and twice after theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Associated Press reporters John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
