The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a new solicitation to purchase one million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), with deliveries to take place at the Bryan Mound site. This move follows the Working Families Tax Cut, signed into law by President Trump earlier in the year, which allocated $171 million to start refilling the SPR.
Secretary Wright commented on the decision, stating, “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 announcement is part of President Trump’s efforts to rebuild the country’s strategic oil reserves and return them to full capacity. The SPR currently holds just over 400 million barrels, significantly less than its maximum capacity of 700 million barrels. The reserve was depleted following a 180-million-barrel drawdown in 2022, which led to increased costs, postponed infrastructure maintenance, and additional strain on storage facilities.
The DOE’s solicitation calls for bids from U.S. companies or U.S. subsidiaries of international companies, provided the crude oil is sourced from domestic production. Contracts will be based on spot price indexes, with deliveries scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026. Bids must be submitted by 11:00 A.M. CT on October 28, 2025.
Additional information about the SPR can be found on the DOE’s website, including an infographic and a fact sheet about the reserve.
