Oil price chart 1973
OPEC halted oil exports to the United States in 1973. Its primary goal was to boost oil prices. It also wanted to punish America for its support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to provide a 90-day supply and prevent future shortages. For the US, the Arab oil embargo came at a time of declining domestic crude oil production, rising demand, and increasing imports. The OPEC embargo was successful because US crude oil production had peaked in 1970 at 9,637 kb/d (10,044 kb/d in November 1970) and had declined in 1973 to 9,208 kb/d. 1973-74 Oil Crisis. SUMMARY: Between October 1973 and January 1974 world oil prices quadrupled. By putting an end to decades of cheap energy, the 1973-74 oil crisis, which was led by Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), exacerbated the economic difficulties facing many industrialized nations, forced developing countries to finance their energy imports