Backwardation means a market situation in which prices are progressively lower in succeeding delivery months than in earlier months.

Contango means a market situation in which prices are progressively higher in the succeeding delivery months than in earlier months.

Contract means the agreement under which DOE acquires SPR petroleum, consisting of the solicitation, the contract form signed by both parties, the successful offer, and any subsequent modifications, including those granting requests for deferrals.

Contracting Officer means a person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings, including entering into sales contracts on behalf of the Government. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the Contracting Officer acting within the limits of their authority as delegated by the Contracting Officer.

DEAR means the Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation.

Deferral means a process whereby petroleum scheduled for delivery to the SPR in a specific contract period is rescheduled for later delivery, outside of that period and encompasses the future delivery of the originally scheduled quantity plus an in-kind premium.

DOE means the Department of Energy.

DOI means the Department of the Interior.

Exchange means a process whereby petroleum owned by or due to the SPR is provided to a person or contractor in return for petroleum of comparable quality plus a premium quantity of petroleum delivered to the SPR in the future, or when SPR petroleum is traded for petroleum of a different quality for operational reasons based on the relative values of the quantities traded.

FAR means the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Government means the United States Government, and includes DOE as its representative.

International Energy Program means the program established by the Agreement on an International Energy Program, signed by the United States on November 18, 1974, including any subsequent amendments and additions to that Agreement.

OPR means the Office of Petroleum Reserves within the DOE Office of Fossil Energy, whose responsibilities include the operation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Petroleum means crude oil, residual fuel oil, or any refined product (including any natural gas liquid, and any natural gas liquid product) owned, or contracted for, by DOE and in storage in any permanent SPR facility, or temporarily stored in other storage facilities.

Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve or SPR means the DOE program established by Title I, Part B, of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, 42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.