Why did Congress create NPR-A in 1923?

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Congress created NPR-A in 1923 as Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 4 to ensure fuel for the U.S. Navy. After World War I, the Navy worried about oil shortages and wanted strategic petroleum reserves under federal control. The reserve covered 23 million acres in Alaska's North Slope, the largest federal petroleum reserve. The Navy controlled NPR-A until Congress transferred it to Interior in 1976. Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 1 (Elk Hills, California), Number 2 (Buena Vista, California), and Number 3 (Teapot Dome, Wyoming) were also created for Navy fuel security. The Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s involved corrupt leasing of Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 3. The 1976 transfer shifted NPR-A from military to civilian energy development while maintaining the reserve designation and requiring Interior to balance production with surface protection.

Why did Congress create NPR-A in 1923?

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