
The IEA’s largest ever emergency oil stock release
From Everything Energy by International Energy Agency (IEA)
March 20, 2026 · 14 min · Season 2 · Episode 23
About this episode
This episode discusses the IEA's largest ever emergency oil stock release in response to severe disruptions in the global oil market due to the Middle East conflict.
The global oil market is facing the most severe disruption in its history, with the war in the Middle East largely halting energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade chokepoint. In response to this disruption, IEA Member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency stocks – the largest collective action since the Agency’s founding more than 50 years ago. In this special episode, IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security Keisuke Sadamori puts the stock release in context and answers key questions about the decision and its implementation.
People in this episode
Guest: Keisuke Sadamori
Topics covered
- oil market disruption
- emergency stock release
- energy security
- Middle East conflict
- IEA response
Keywords
- oil stock release
- IEA
- energy markets
- Middle East
- Strait of Hormuz
- emergency response
- oil supply
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: International Energy Agency
Places: Strait of Hormuz, Middle East
More episodes of Everything Energy
- How the energy crisis is reshaping investment · June 4, 2026 · 20 min
- The forgotten giant of electricity · May 21, 2026 · 19 min
- The relationship between energy and AI is evolving rapidly · May 7, 2026 · 29 min
- Critical minerals and energy security · April 24, 2026 · 23 min
- The mounting disruptions in oil markets · April 17, 2026 · 19 min
- Feeling the effects of the energy crisis · April 2, 2026 · 16 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Everything Energy podcast page.