Japan on Friday began an additional release of oil reserves equivalent to about 20 days of supply, aiming to maintain stable domestic availability after disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said he is prepared to release additional oil reserves as energy prices soar worldwide.

The State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has launched a new phase of offshore exploration in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea with detailed seabed studies at the promising Goshadash structure. The project marks a preparatory stage ahead of a large-scale seismic survey that will use advanced Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) technology, underscoring Azerbaijan’s commitment to expanding its hydrocarbon resource base and maintaining its role as a key energy supplier to regional and global markets.

The United States Department of Energy said it will release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve starting next week as the conflict involving the United States and Iran continues.

Oil prices on Monday had pared a massive advance in a roller-coaster session that initially saw them soar to near $120 a barrel amid panic over supply disruptions from the Iran conflict.

Today, the fate of states is being decided less through negotiations and more through balance sheets — through currencies, oil routes, and the debts of others. Venezuela, Iran, and China are no longer isolated cases; they are links in a single chain, in which sanctions increasingly serve as a prelude to military scenarios, while the so-called “nuclear threat” becomes a convenient cover for far more prosaic economic objectives.

As of October 1, 2025, Azerbaijan’s strategic currency reserves, including the State Oil Fund and the Central Bank, totaled $81.5 billion, News.Az reports, citing local media.

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) plans to raise its gold reserves to 170 tons by April-May 2025.

As of January 1, 2025, Azerbaijan’s proved oil reserves are estimated at 7 billion barrels, with natural gas reserves totaling 60 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), according to the US Department of Energy.