Strategic Petroleum Reserve ·August 28, 2026
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve holds 286.6M bbl of crude oil as of the week ending August 28, 2026, down 1.1% week over week.
The Desk's read
The government's emergency crude stockpile sits lower than at almost any point on record, at 286.6 MM bbl as of 2026-08-28, the 1st percentile of the 44-year record and the lowest since Nov 1982. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve has drained 23 straight reports, the longest run since Feb 2022, down 6.8% over 30 days. That recent pace, though, ranks only the 17th percentile of comparable four-report stretches, drain-side but far from the record extreme. Watch the 23-report run in next Wednesday's EIA weekly report.
On the August 28, 2026 figures.
The SPR is the U.S. government's emergency crude stockpile, held in salt caverns along the Gulf Coast. Today's level is 60.6% below the all-time high of 726.6M bbl, set in 2010.
We watch the Strategic Petroleum Reserve weekly.
One free email at the next notable move in the SPR: a record crossing or a sharp draw or build. Nothing otherwise.
Weekly receipts letter · optional daily briefing · record-break alerts · unsubscribe anytime
Over the past ~4 weeks it has moved in line with its usual pace. That pace is easing off.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve — weekly stocks
September 10, 2021 → August 28, 2026
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration — Weekly Petroleum Status Report, series WCSSTUS1. Units: million barrels. Updated Wednesdays around 10:30 ET.
Series ID PET.WCSSTUS1.W (EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report). Weekly cadence; readings reflect end-of-week balance in millions of barrels of crude held in the four SPR sites (Bryan Mound, Big Hill, West Hackberry, Bayou Choctaw). Pre-2005 readings are from the fill era — the reserve was still being built out and is not directly comparable to post-fill readings as a measure of drawdown headroom.
Quick answers
- When did the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve last fall below 300M bbl?
- The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell below 300M bbl in the week ending August 7, 2026 and holds 286.6M bbl as of August 28, 2026.
Common questions
- How much oil is in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
- The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is the US government's emergency crude stockpile, stored in salt caverns along the Gulf Coast. Its current level, all-time high, all-time low, and post-fill-era low are shown above in millions of barrels, sourced weekly from the EIA. The level changes with drawdowns and refills, so check the as-of date for the latest reading.
- How is the SPR measured and stored?
- SPR volume is reported in millions of barrels of crude oil held in underground salt caverns at sites in Texas and Louisiana. The EIA publishes the level weekly in its Weekly Petroleum Status Report; the series here runs back to 1982.
- Why does the SPR level change?
- The reserve is drawn down during supply emergencies or authorized sales and refilled when the government buys crude to rebuild it. So a falling level reflects releases or sales, and a rising level reflects purchases — it is a policy-driven balance, not a market price.