Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Full Form of SPR
What is SPR?
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) refers to the stockpile of crude oil maintained by a country to meet emergency situations arising from sudden supply disruptions. In India, the SPR programme is managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a special purpose vehicle functioning under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. India currently has SPR facilities at three locations—Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Mangalore in Karnataka, and Padur also in Karnataka—with a combined storage capacity of about 5.33 million metric tonnes of crude oil stored in underground rock caverns. These reserves act as a crucial buffer against price shocks, geopolitical tensions, and import supply interruptions, especially since India imports more than 85 percent of its crude oil requirements. The government is actively expanding storage capacity through public-private partnerships to strengthen long-term energy security. The SPR concept regularly appears in competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and banking recruitments under the energy security and infrastructure sections, making it an important topic for aspirants preparing for government examinations.
SPR का फुल फॉर्म
रणनीतिक पेट्रोलियम भंडार
Example
The Union Cabinet recently approved the expansion of India's Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity by an additional 6.5 million metric tonnes to strengthen the country's energy security.