Years ago, Australia paid the US to store our strategic oil reserves deep underground. In a time of crisis we can apply to have it back. The problems are: * Any underground loss through leakage or theft is our problem. * US congress will need to approve for us to get our oil out of the ground. * We pay annual storage costs. * Australia has about 4 weeks supply in our country in a crisis. * Unlike other oil producing countries we do not own oil transport tankers. * When an oil crisis occurs, Australia applies to Congress for permission to get our oil. After consideration, Congress MAY approve. Then we have to charter an tanker and get a refinery to agree to refine it. Then we have to transport it to Australia (? in a time of war?). THen we have to distribute the fuel across Australia. - all within 4 weeks.
