BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge environmental consultancy firm was awarded a $1.4 billion contract by the U.S. Department of Energy to maintain the nation's emergency stockpile of petroleum.

APTIM and joint venture partner BWX Technologies were given the contract to manage and operate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as well as its associated facilities and systems in Louisiana and Texas.

APTIM will take over the management and operation of the reserve, which is the world's largest supply of emergency crude oil at 714 million barrels, on June 15 for a five-year period with an option for the DOE to extend the contract for an additional five years.

According to a news release, federally owned oil stocks are stored in underground salt caverns at four sites along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana, protecting the US during international oil shortages.

"APTIM is honored to serve the DOE, the talented and committed SPR workforce, and the nation as the SPR fulfills its essential mission of protecting our energy and economic security. APTIM and our partner BWX Technologies will bring the experience, resources, and commitment required to deliver," APTIM CEO and Chairman of the Strategic Storage Partners board of directors Mark Fallon said.