The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Needed Changes to Counter Today's Threats to Energy Security
Abstract
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) of the United States is critical to its national security because of the nation's reliance on oil and refined petroleum products as the cornerstone of its economic and military power. The purpose of the SPR is to provide protection against disruption of the United States oil supply in times of war crisis or natural catastrophe. However conditions have changed since the SPR was formed that make it increasingly unable to provide the protection required to keep it strategically relevant. The SPR has several limitations that significantly limit its ability to protect against disruptions in petroleum supply including its location and geography capacity composition and glaring vulnerabilities in United States petroleum supply infrastructure. This paper based on research and personal observation asks and answers relevant questions regarding the SPR and concludes with the author's recommendations on how the United States' policy on its SPR should change to meet national security objectives- in the context of today's challenges and those predicted for the future- in order to keep the SPR strategically valuable and relevant until it may be no longer needed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449379
Entities
People
- Bruce L. Peck Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College