U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Hits 40-Year Low Amid Iran War

The United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has fallen to approximately 243 million barrels, marking a four-decade low and the first time since 1983 that inventories have dropped below 300 million barrels. This depletion follows a 172-million-barrel release authorized by Donald Trump to mitigate supply disruptions and rising energy costs resulting from the war with Iran and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Engineering experts and the Government Accountability Office warn that dropping below 300 million barrels threatens the structural integrity of the 60 underground salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana. Professor Siddharth Misra and former adviser Amos Hochstein cautioned that these levels risk thermal shock and salt wall dissolution, which could hinder the speed of oil pumping during future emergencies. The Government Accountability Office added that repeated drawdown-and-refill cycles can leach salt and create undesirable cavern shapes, increasing the risk of ceiling collapses.

The United States Department of Energy disputes these risks, stating that the caverns remain full because water replaces the extracted oil to maintain internal pressure. However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright testified that previous rapid drawdowns caused infrastructure damage requiring over $100 million in repairs. In response to the depletion, Senator Tom Cotton introduced legislation to replenish the stockpile using clean electricity tax credit revenues. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to implement extreme economic pressure and isolation measures against Iran.