South Africa’s ace in the hole for energy security is finally being taken seriously. The Saldanha Bay oil storage facilities, which have grown out of the shadow of sanctions since the 1970s, are now set to be expanded to cover 60 days of demand—an additional 10 million barrels doesn’t sound too dramatic, but the Ministry of Finance stepping in personally to provide financing guarantees shows they’re really in a hurry. The move to force wholesalers to stock 21 days’ worth of inventory is also pretty tough—effectively tying civilian stockpiles to the state’s strategic war machine.

South Africa plans to expand its strategic oil reserves, targeting coverage of 60 days of demand. The reserve size is about 36 million barrels, of which roughly two-thirds is crude oil and the rest is petroleum products. To fill the existing shortfall in inventories, it plans to increase reserves by 10 million barrels; financing and guarantee instruments will be set by the Ministry of Finance and the national oil company. Approved wholesalers and importers must maintain inventories equivalent to 21 days of demand. The initiative is set against the backdrop of the 45 million barrel storage facilities established in Saldanha Bay in the 1970s due to sanctions.