Burgum blasts plan to tap strategic reserve, says Biden ‘demonizing’ oil producers

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says President Biden’s plan to release millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve “does little to reduce prices at the pump and ease the burden on hardworking Americans.”

Biden announced Thursday that he’s ordered the release of about one million barrels of oil each day for six months.

“Once again, President Biden is relying on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and foreign nations to boost oil output when he should instead be working directly with U.S. oil companies and removing federal roadblocks to increase domestic production,” Burgum said.

“Instead of demonizing U.S. oil producers and threatening to impose fees on them based on misleading data points about federal leases, the Biden administration needs to embrace a realistic long-term path to U.S. energy independence – one that sends a clear signal that his administration supports U.S. oil production and infrastructure.”

Burgum also says the Biden administration should commit to replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with U.S.-produced oil and provide an immediate waiver to the Jones Act to reduce shipping costs.

Burgum recently invited Biden to North Dakota to see firsthand the work of clean, efficient, domestic oil production and how carbon storage can play an immediate and significant role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.