This exemption does not apply to specific regions such as Cuba, North Korea, and Crimea. Previously, the U.S. had also lifted sanctions on the Russian oil industry. Additionally, the government has released 45.2 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to companies including BP, Shell, and Vitol, as part of an initial tranche of a planned release of up to 86 million barrels, coordinated with the International Energy Agency. The involved companies are required to return the oil with a surcharge of up to 22 percent.