With the Trump administration set to complete a 172 mln-barrel release intended
to ease fuel price spikes tied to the Iran war, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum
Reserve (SPR) has fallen to about 340 mln barrels—the lowest level since 1983,
DOE data on Monday showed. If completed, the release would be the second-largest
draw on record and leave roughly 243 mln barrels, about one-third of statutory
capacity. The drawdown reduces U.S. flexibility to respond to future supply
disruptions, the DOE said, and the reserve is being managed to stabilize oil
markets and guard against supply shocks.
