Analysis: The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve will not arrive in Asia's critical supply regions until mid-May at the earliest.

MaticHoleFiller · 2026-03-13T12:44:21+00:00

Supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have prompted the release of oil reserves, but it takes weeks from the order to actual delivery to demand areas, with shipping times reaching up to 45 days. The earliest these supplies can address the shortage in Asia is mid-May.

MaticHoleFiller

2026-03-13 12:44:21

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To offset the disruption of supply through the Strait of Hormuz, it may take several weeks for the emergency release of oil reserves to actually enter shipping, and even longer for the oil to reach the final demand locations.

Analysts at energy consultancy Energy Aspects said that most countries’ process of releasing stored oil typically takes about two weeks.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that the crude oil stored in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in giant salt caverns along the Gulf Coast can be released into the market within 13 days of a presidential order.

However, an analyst at Energy Aspects told clients, “Shipping time to Asia can be as long as 45 days, which means the earliest that the strategic oil reserves released by the U.S. could reach the current shortage areas in Asia is mid-May.”

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