[aruanan]

If refineries are refining at capacity, capacity defined as refining enough to supply demand, then simply making more petroleum available from strategic reserves to refineries won't have an effect on gas prices unless the government sells the petroleum to some oil company at below-market prices and tells it that it must pass along the price cut to consumers.

[thackney]

If refineries are refining at capacity, capacity defined as refining enough to supply demand

After years of expansions and upgrades of our existing refineries, plus a decline in our overall demand, we now refine more that the US uses and export the surplus.

then simply making more petroleum available from strategic reserves to refineries won't have an effect on gas prices unless the government sells the petroleum to some oil company at below-market prices

Putting a surplus of oil on the market will lower market prices unless OPEC makes a similar sized cut in production. I am not in any way suggesting that it would be a good idea. The Strategic Supply exists for Strategic reasons and following the outflow, it would need to be refilled reversing any benefit.

It is the same mentality of dropping your insurance to help pay your medical costs.