The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is running low. Can Venezuelan oil help?

NPR | By Cooper Katz McKim,

Ricky Mulvey

Published September 25, 2026 at 4:41 AM EDT

Whether it's oil from Venezuela or somewhere else, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve needs to be refilled. The SPR is widely considered critical for energy security. We run through the challenges to refilling the reserves.

Cooper Katz McKim

Cooper Katz McKim is an Associate Producer for The Indicator from Planet Money.

Ricky Mulvey

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