US oil reserves nearing critical low

[Lesh]

You and the other Troll claimed Biden Ibcreased oil production.

Which is BS.

And who brought up Biden in the first place?

 

[JWBooth]

How did this thread devolve from the world's energy supply being squeezed causing Trump & Bibi to lose their war, to comparing Biden and Trump's mismanagement of the economy and who is the bigger disaster?

May have something to do with the low quality participants it drew.

 

[eagle1462010]

And who brought up Biden in the first place?

Other guy. Bragging about it

 

[Lesh]

Other guy. Bragging about it

Nope. Look at the first page of the thread

Took all of four posts to mention Biden

And 13 to blame him for this

 

[eagle1462010]

G5000 took my question out of context and started this Biden versus Trump fight.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

You keep saying how bad Biden as for oil. Apparently not since we had record oil production

That’s just fact

Obama also fought domestic oil production every chance he got.
And then took credit when American oil companies still managed to produce more.
What a couple of liars.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Whatever

He certainly didn’t stop it

He said he'd stop it, he failed.

 

[MisterBeale]

To defend Dotard Donnie they went into “but Biden..”

meh, it isn't any different from what yoar side did during all of Biden's cluster feck.

 

[Lesh]

meh, it isn't any different from what yoar side did during all of Biden's cluster feck.

So…” but Biden “ huh?

 

[MisterBeale]

So…” but Biden “ huh?

Just the same as "but Trump," right?

 

[Lesh]

Just the same as "but Trump," right?

Dude

Huge fail

 

[MisterBeale]

Dude

Huge fail

Well, at least you have the maturity to admit your errors.

 

[eagle1462010]

Well, at least you have the maturity to admit your errors.

The Troll claims his next victum

 

[Nobody911]

As mentioned in the article, the SPR is nearing a critical low point which puts the nation at risk should a major oil shock hit the nation again. American Petroleum Institute chief Mike Sommers urges the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz ASAP in order to refill the reserves.

API oil chief warns US Strategic Petroleum Reserve nearing critical low | investingLive

The SPR buffer is shrinking fast, gasoline stocks have taken a summer-sized hit, and only Hormuz can fix it.

investinglive.com

An on-the-record warning from the API chief about SPR operational thresholds will sharpen trader focus on inventory data and the pace of reserve drawdowns. At 350 million barrels, the SPR is approaching the level at which roughly 70 million barrels remain as the functional floor, limiting the government's ability to intervene in another supply shock. The gasoline inventory draw of 38 million barrels is the most immediately price-sensitive detail, representing nearly a full summer driving season's worth of stock already gone. Rig count increases and rising Permian and Alaska output are the only near-term offsets, but Sommers is explicit that domestic supply response cannot substitute for reopening the strait.

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API CEO Mike Sommers warns the US SPR is approaching operationally critical levels at 350 million barrels, with gasoline stocks already down 38 million barrels, urging rapid reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Summary: Source: Mike Sommers, CEO, American Petroleum Institute, speaking on CNN

• The SPR currently holds approximately 350 million barrels, with roughly 20% of total capacity required to remain for the system to stay operational, putting the functional floor around 70 million barrels
• Sommers says the API is raising alarm bells now, as reserve levels are entering a range of genuine concern
• Gasoline inventories have already drawn down by 38 million barrels, nearly equivalent to the entire stock typically consumed during the US summer driving season
• Rig counts have risen week on week and production increases are emerging in Alaska, the Permian Basin and other US regions, driven by higher prices
• Sommers says the only viable short-term solution to the supply problem is reopening the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible

kinda true, but “critical low” is hype. The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve was about 340.3 million barrels on June 12, 2026 — the lowest since 1983 — so it’s definitely low by history. But it’s not empty or unusable; it still has a lot of oil, and current authorized capacity is 714 million barrels.

Why it’s low: the government has been drawing barrels out as an emergency move tied to the Iran supply disruption, and the reserve is still being managed through exchange-style releases, not just a one-way drain. So the low level is real, but “critical” depends on whether you mean “near record-low” or “about to fail.” It’s the first one, not the second.

think of it like this:

• The SPR is a giant emergency tank. At about 340 million barrels, it’s way down from the old days, and lower than it’s been since 1983.
• But “critical low” usually means “can’t help much in a real crisis.” That’s not true here. It still holds hundreds of millions of barrels, so it can still be tapped if needed.
• The real issue is cushion: the U.S. has less backup than it used to, so if there’s a big supply shock, there’s less room to lean on.

So: low? yes. dangerously empty? no.

sources:

• https://www.cmegroup.com/education/events/econoday/672390
• SPR Quick Facts
• U.S. Stocks of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
• DOE has released 17.5 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve since March - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)