As the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be restricted due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has taken on a more important role. Little known outside of the energy industry, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is the world's largest emergency supply of crude oil, held in underground salt caverns along the Gulf Coast. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act