Oil Market Runs Down Safety Cushion as Supply Shock Worsens

The last tankers out of the Persian Gulf are reaching their destinations. Strategic reserves are being drained to make up for lost Middle East supply and keep a lid on prices. But there is a problem with this: an emergency response to a crisis is by definition unsustainable.

Analysts and energy industry executives are warning that the longer the war in the Middle East continues, the worse the supply situation will become.