The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a solicitation to purchase one million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at the Bryan Mound site. This action follows the Working Families Tax Cut, signed into law by President Trump earlier this year, which allocated $171 million to begin refilling the SPR.
Secretary Wright stated, “After the previous administration recklessly drained the SPR for political purposes, President Trump promised to refill and manage this national security asset more responsibly. Thanks to the President and Congress, we are able to begin the process of refilling the SPR. While this process won’t be complete overnight, these actions are an important step in strengthening our energy security and reversing the costly and irresponsible energy policies of the last administration.”
The current capacity of the SPR is about 700 million barrels, but it presently holds just over 400 million barrels. The reserve was depleted by a 180-million-barrel drawdown in 2022, which resulted in approximately $280 million in costs and delayed necessary infrastructure maintenance.
The DOE’s solicitation seeks bids for an initial purchase of one million barrels of oil via a spot-price-indexed contract. Deliveries are scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026. Only U.S. companies or U.S. subsidiaries of international companies sourcing crude oil from domestic production are eligible to participate. Bids must be submitted by 11:00 A.M. CT on October 28, 2025.
Further information about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is available through DOE resources such as the Infographic: Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Fact Sheet: Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
