- Start
- Jan 16, 199190% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
- End
- Apr 3, 199190% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Desert Storm Triggers the SPR's First Emergency Drawdown
- Bush announced the release in the same televised address that announced the air campaign, on 16 January 1991[1]
- The White House statement that night authorised Secretary Watkins to draw down the reserve "at such a rate as the Secretary may determine", in conformance with the IEA's agreed emergency response plan[3]
- Secretary Watkins prepared a drawdown of 33.75 million barrels, the US share under the IEA's coordinated plan, over a 45-day delivery period[1]
- Twenty-six companies bid on 28 January; on 30 January DOE accepted 13 offers for 17.3 million barrels, refusing anything below 97.5% of benchmark prices[1]
- The first oil moved on 5 February 1991 and the last on 3 April 1991[1]
- It was the first of only four presidentially ordered emergency drawdowns in the reserve's history[1]
References 387% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%energy.gov/hgeo/opr/history-spr-releasesenergy.gov· Posted Sep 22, 2026· Starts Jan 16, 1991 ✓· Ends Apr 3, 1991 ✓· 50% of score
DOE dates the authorisation to Bush's address of 16 January 1991 and the last of the 17.3 million barrels to 3 April 1991; the pin's exclusive end is the following midnight UTC.
- [2]85%History of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (US Department of Energy)energy.gov· Added Sep 22, 2026· 50% of score
Background on the drawdown authorities: a full drawdown, a limited drawdown of up to 30 million barrels, or a test sale.[1]
- [3]95%Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (16 January 1991)presidency.ucsb.edu· Published Jan 16, 1991· 0% of score
The White House statement that authorised the drawdown, on the night of 16 January 1991: it names Secretary Watkins, cites the Energy[1][2] Policy and Conservation Act and ties the release to the IEA's agreed emergency response plan.
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