Cushing crude oil inventory ·EIA week ending August 28, 2026
Cushing, Oklahoma crude storage holds 22.5M bbl as of August 28, 2026, up 0.4% week over week.
Cushing inventory vs. WTI Crude price
September 10, 2021 to August 28, 2026
Weekly crude oil stocks at Cushing, OK (M bbl) vs. Daily WTI Spot Price FOB ($/bbl). Sources: U.S. EIA, FRED series DCOILWTICO.
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About this series
Crude oil tank levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for NYMEX WTI futures. Reported weekly by the U.S. EIA. The number traders watch first, because it is the deliverable supply behind the WTI price.
Today's reading sits near the bottom of the modern era (2015-present). Cushing tanks have a working minimum below which crude cannot practically be drawn, so a low level reads as a tightness signal at the WTI delivery hub, not an empty-tank event. It is 5.3M bbl below its same-week five-year average. Since 2015 it ranks in the 7th percentile; across the full record back to 2004, the 21st.
Weekly crude oil stocks at Cushing, OK, in millions of barrels. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report (series W_EPC0_SAX). Updated weekly.
Cushing crude oil inventory: common questions
- When did Cushing crude oil inventory last rise above 20M bbl?
- Cushing crude oil inventory rose above 20M bbl in the week ending July 31, 2026 and stands at 22.5M bbl as of August 28, 2026.
- When did Cushing crude oil inventory last fall below 25M bbl?
- Cushing crude oil inventory fell below 25M bbl in the week ending May 22, 2026 and stands at 22.5M bbl as of August 28, 2026.
More questions
- When did Cushing crude oil inventory last fall below 30M bbl?
- Cushing crude oil inventory fell below 30M bbl in the week ending April 24, 2026 and stands at 22.5M bbl as of August 28, 2026.
- What is the Cushing crude oil inventory?
- Cushing, Oklahoma is the physical delivery point for the NYMEX West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures contract. The Cushing inventory is the volume of crude oil held in tank farms there, reported weekly by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It is the number traders watch first because it sets the deliverable supply behind the WTI price.
- Why does the Cushing oil inventory matter?
- Cushing is a pipeline crossroads with limited tank capacity, so its level shows how much crude is actually deliverable against WTI futures. When tanks run low the contract can trade tighter; when they fill up storage economics loosen. It is a supply gauge for the contract, not a forecast.
- How often is the Cushing inventory updated?
- The EIA publishes the figure every week in its Weekly Petroleum Status Report, typically Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. Eastern for the prior Friday's week. This page reads that same EIA series and shows the latest reading with its as-of date.
- What is operational tankage at Cushing?
- Tanks cannot be drained to zero; a working minimum of oil keeps lines and pumps operable. That floor is often called operational or minimum operating tankage, so a low reading is a tightness signal rather than an empty-tank event.