The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday it had sold off the remaining 15 million barrels of oil released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In total, 180 million barrels of oil this year to offset rising gas prices.. Six companies purchased the 15 million barrels, including “Shell Trading, Valero Marketing and Supply, Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum Supply and Trading LLC, Equinor Marketing and Trading, and Macquarie Commodities Trading US,”. The sale will be complete with the delivery of the oil between December 1 and December 31.