Brussels, Belgium. The International Energy Agency has proposed the largest release of oil reserves in its history to restrain rising crude prices amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing officials familiar with the matter.
Proposal and decision process
The release would exceed the 182 million barrels of oil that IEA member nations put on the market in two releases in 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper said.
The IEA called an extraordinary meeting of members on Tuesday, with nations expected to decide on the proposal the following day, the report added. The plan would be adopted if there were no objections, but protests by even one country could delay the effort, the report said.
G7 position and market concerns
On Tuesday, G7 energy ministers stopped short of agreeing on a release of strategic oil reserves, asking the IEA to assess the situation instead.
“Although no country currently faces a physical shortage of crude, prices are rising sharply, and leaving the situation unattended is not an option,” a G7 source told Reuters. “G7 countries are generally supportive of an IEA coordinated oil stock release,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Timing and potential outreach
The actual release cannot start immediately because decisions on aspects such as total volume, country allocations, and timing require further discussion, the source said. The source added that the IEA secretariat is expected to propose scenarios based on expected market impact, and outreach may extend to non-IEA members like China and India.
The IEA and the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
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