U.S. taps 50 million barrels of oil from reserves in an attempt to tamper spiking costs at the gas pump.. resident Biden’s move to tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is expected to supply Chinese and Indian oil needs as gas demands have led to global shortages.. The White House said the Department of Energy will release 50 million barrels of oil held in U.S. reserves — 18 million of which have already been congressionally approved for sale. China and India have been actively purchasing U.S. sour crude oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico ... U.S.-produced sour crude oil...