The White House has announced a “historic release” of about 180mn barrels of oil from the US emergency stockpile in a bid to cool crude prices, saying it would punish some domestic oil companies that do not increase drilling.
On Thursday, president Joe Biden said the move was designed to lower “painful” petrol prices that were harming the finances of many households. He added that prices “should not hinge on whether a dictator declares war”, referring to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the effect of resultant western sanctions on Russian oil imports.
“My plan is going to help ease that pain today and safeguard against tomorrow,” Biden said, suggesting the price at the pump could decrease by the “better part” of anything between “10 cents to 35 cents a gallon”.