SPR Oil Heads to California for First Time Amid Iran War Disruptions

HOUSTON, May 27 (Reuters) – A cargo of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve headed to California this month for the first time ever, ship tracking service Kpler said.

The unusual movement highlights the redrawing of trade flows and shipping routes as the Iran war has cut off supplies of Middle Eastern crude. California, once a top oil-producing state in the U.S., has in recent years become more dependent on crude imports, including about 230,000 barrels per day last year from the Middle East. Availability of alternative crude oil is also limited due to competing demand from Asia.

About 460,000 barrels of Bayou Choctaw Sweet