U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Falls to 289.7 Million Barrels

en.Wedoany.com Reported - For the week ending August 21, crude oil inventories in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve decreased by approximately 3.7 million barrels, falling to 289.7 million barrels, the lowest level since November 1982. Historical data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that the reserve held approximately 415.4 million barrels at the end of February 2026, and since then, inventories have cumulatively declined by about 125.7 million barrels as the emergency crude oil exchange program was implemented.

This decline continues the release of strategic reserves initiated by the United States in March. At that time, the U.S. government authorized the Department of Energy to release 172 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of a coordinated plan by the 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil and refined products. The delivery period is expected to last approximately 120 days, primarily to supplement short-term market supply.

The release was carried out primarily through crude oil exchanges. Participating companies withdrew crude oil from reserve storage and are required to return an equivalent volume of crude oil plus additional premium barrels within an agreed timeframe. The initial contracts involved 45.2 million barrels, delivered from the Bayou Choctaw site in Louisiana, as well as the Bryan Mound site in Texas and the West Hackberry site in Louisiana; under the contract arrangements, the participating companies will subsequently return 55 million barrels.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is managed by the Department of Energy, with crude oil stored in four underground salt cavern sites along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, with a combined certified storage capacity of 714 million barrels. The reserve system is connected to Gulf Coast refining centers, interstate crude oil pipelines, and marine terminals, with a nominal maximum drawdown capacity of 4.4 million barrels per day. Once a government decision is made, crude oil can reach the market in as little as approximately 13 days.

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to recover approximately 200 million barrels of crude oil after the exchange contracts expire. The timing and volume of crude oil returns, as well as the receiving capacity of each site, will determine the pace of recovery in strategic reserve inventories.