[DustyMoment]

Never happened.

Actually, it did in the 70s and 80s during the so-called "oil embargoes". Your website conveniently stops at the early 90s.

[thackney]

Actually, it did in the 70s and 80s during the so-called "oil embargoes". Your website conveniently stops at the early 90s. That was the first oil withdrawn from the web site.

Here is a tracking of the SPR starting in 1982. Please show me where there was a withdraw in the 80s.

U.S. Weekly Crude Oil Ending Stocks SPR
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/wcsstus1w.htm

The SPR wasn't created until the mid 1970's.

[thackney]

The 1985 Test Sale
Oil has been pumped into and out of the Reserve's storage sites many times in routine tests. But until 1985, the competitive sales process had never been tested outside of simulations run inside the government. In 1985 Congress and the Administration agreed it was time to test the full system, both the pumps and paperwork, that would be needed to release oil from the Reserve in the event of an energy emergency. When it extended the Energy Policy and Conservation Act in June 1985, Congress authorized the Department to conduct test sales for up to 5 million barrels that would involve the private sector in the competitive sales process for the first time.

Releasing Crude Oil From the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/spr/spr-drawdown.html

[thackney]

If you are interested, a little more SPR information:

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve:
History, Perspectives, and Issues
http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-9965:1

Prior to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act Amendments of 1990, oil could not be withdrawn from the SPR without a severe energy supply interruption.