Status of Strategic Petroleum Reserve Activities--February 1981

Gao ID: EMD-81-49 February 24, 1981

The Energy Security Act requires the President to resume filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at an average rate of at least 100,000 barrels per day for fiscal year 1981 and succeeding years. As of December 11, 1980, the Administration had completed its fiscal year 1981 efforts.

For the first time since the passage of the Energy Security Act, the Government acted to increase the fill rate above the minimum of 100,000 barrels per day. The Administration cannot exceed a fill rate of 214,000 barrels per day during fiscal year 1981 without additional funds. Subsequent years also require funds. The Department of Energy will not have enough capacity under its existing expansion plans to maintain a fill rate of 300,000 barrels per day beyond July 1982. Any early effort to fill the reserve at the rate of 300,000 barrels per day will require complementary efforts to insure alternative storage.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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