Release of 50 Million Barrel

The price of gasoline was a hot topic when I was in Texas last week, all across the US, of course. It was Thanksgiving week and many people were on trip, either flying or driving. President Biden decided to release 50 Million barrels from the US strategic oil reserve to fight the soaring crude price! It was obviously a dive in vein and I heard that on the radio that this action was criticized because that much of oil only equals to the US's total consumption for only 2.5 days! It was also said that the Biden administration had engaged in negotiations with allies(!) to find the solutions to the problem.

This map show the approximate location of storages. I might have driven pass one because of went to Gulf of Mexico area

The US created the reserve in response to oil supply shortege/blockage of 1975. The major oil suppliers turned the tap off to the world after the US supported Israel in their fight with Arab countries in 1973, Yum Kippur War. The blockage was led by Saudi Arabia which was being ruled by King Faisal. He was later assassinated by a member of family. Many spaculate that it had something with him denying oil to the world, and of course the US, as part of it.

I don't know how effective that action was but I doubt it played a major role in price change, at least, when I was there. One thing that I'm sure about is it didn't affect the driving habits of Americans! The highways were as busy and the drivers as crazy as ever! There was no chance in hell that I could come back to Canada in one piece, if I didn't have a GPS and at one time I had two on a the same time. I paid a lot for gasoline because I was crazy enough to drive 1439 miles (approzimately 2316 km!) but I don't regret what I did except the part that I could take it slopwer, I mean, not on the road, because I would've been killed! I could have driven shorter segments but it's alright. I plan better for the next trip.

(Photo, top: Price of gasoline in Exxon gas station in the twon of Katy, about one hour from Houston, Texas. For the one's who are not familiar with American pricing method of gasoline I should say that it is $2.83 Cents of a US Galone and a US Galone equels to 3.75 litters)