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.

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Cushing crude oil inventory

Name: Cushing, OK Crude Oil Inventory: Weekly Stocks
Creator: U.S. Energy Information Administration
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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.

19.0 M bbl as of June 19, 2026

Current stocks

19.0M bbl

as of June 19, 2026

Week-over-week

-1.08M

-5.38%

Record high

69.4M bbl

April 7, 2017 · current 72.7% below

Record low

11.7M bbl

April 9, 2004 · current 62.3% above

Today's reading sits near the bottom of the EIA record going back to 2004. 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.

Cushing crude oil inventory

July 2, 2021 to June 19, 2026

Weekly crude oil stocks at Cushing, OK (M bbl). Source: U.S. EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, series W_EPC0_SAX.

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

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.