Washington, April 1 : In an effort to bring down the prevailing high fuel prices, US President Joe Biden has ordered a major release of oil from America’s strategic reserves. The ted States would release up to 180 million barrels of oil over the course of six months, which is the largest release since the reserve was created in 1974. Oil supply crunch was sparked by war in Ukraine. The US President promised further action to raise US output, saying the release would “serve as [a] bridge until the end of the year when domestic production ramps up”. The release of additional reserves is unlikely to be enough to compensate for lost supplies from Russia, which is the world’s second-biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia. Brent crude hit $139 a barrel in early March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions slapped on Moscow by the US and its allies. RKM