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The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed the Secretary of Energy to develop procedures for the acquisition of petroleum products for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).  Pursuant to that direction, the Department of Energy (DOE) promulgated the procedures of Part 626 of Title 10 of the Code of Regulations (CFR).  Subsequently, section 306(a) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 repealed authority to conduct SPR acquisitions under the royalty-in-kind program that had been incorporated into the existing regulations of Part 626.  In this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR), DOE proposes to amend the procedures for the acquisition of petroleum products for the SPR to:  (1) more closely align the regulatory language with the applicable statutory language; (2) remove references to the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the royalty-in-kind transfers; and (3) increase the Department’s ability and flexibility to enter into contracts while better reflecting the actual petroleum product acquisition operations under Part 626.