America's Emergency Oil Reserve Is Shrinking Fast

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

May 25, 2026 at 05:00 AM EDT


America’s oil stockpiles are shrinking rapidly, with U.S. crude inventories posting consecutive weekly declines, exports surging and the country drawing down from its emergency supplies to offset the impact of the war with Iran on global energy markets.

According to recently released figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), total crude inventories fell by 17.8 million barrels for the week ending May 15. The record drop follows several weeks of similarly steep declines that have brought total stocks (including those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) to their lowest level in almost a year.

As analysts told Newsweek, the declines are eroding a critical safety buffer designed to protect the U.S.—and the prices consumers pay at the bump—during major supply shocks, and will offer the country less flexibility to respond if conditions deteriorate further.

Since the beginning of the war on February 28, the closure of the Hormuz Strait—through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil previously passed—has pushed global oil prices to multi-year highs and led to what the director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called the “largest energy crisis in history.”

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/americas-emergency-oil-reserve-is-shrinking-fast-11983476

---

Link to EIA REPORT page - Weekly Petroleum Status Report

Link to EIA REPORT (PDF) - https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/wpsrall.pdf

[LakeVermilion]

1. But we're energy independent...

and we produce the most oil in the world.

One more time: “drill baby, drill!”

[FBaggins]

17. We are and we do... but oil is fungible

And he wants to influence global prices and increase the US' market share as other suppliers falter.

[littlemissmartypants]

2. How many days away from DJ making a deal with Russia for oil does anyone think that we are?

Is that possibly his plan?

I mean, because he's a psychopath I know that he could not care less about how many of us regular people he hurts, but we prop up the oligarchy, don't we?

[Grins]

6. "We have all the oil we need!" Someone once said not long ago...

[BarbD]

8. Plan??? What plan???

Do we need a plan????

[republianmushroom]

12. Plan, nope, they had a concept.

A beautiful concept. USA ! USA ! USA !

[slightlv]

3. Seems like the way I'm having to use credit cards for just "living"

is just the way the government uses the country... !

exports surging and the country drawing down from its emergency supplies

Exports are surging. But the strategic reserve isn't being replenished as we draw it down dangerously. The logical, smart thing to do would be to move some of those "exports" into the Reserve. Or, move the exports to areas in our own country so we didn't have to draw down the Reserve in a vain attempt to lower prices by a penny or two. But that makes sense (at least to me!). Instead, we're allowing oil companies to export the oil to other countries at large price upwrites for greater profit for themselves. If our own country goes dry and dark? So what? At least the big boys have their money!

These people are country-less. They belong no where. Talk about people who need to be deported out of this country! They pay as little to live here as possible, passing their expenses and taxes on to us, the common people. And yet they're the first to yell when their profits, "speech," or "freedoms" look like they're being abridged. Frankly, I think they should be deported to any country where oil is king. That would be the only place they could even begin to pledge allegiance.

Meanwhile, we have the stupidest government on record in charge right now during a crisis that'll make the 70's and 80's look like Disneyland. JMO... YMMV.

[popsdenver]

18. During Biden

he sold off the reserves when he could get a high price, and then purchased it back when prices went down.

The Republicans are selling our low cost reserves off at high prices, and they will be buying at even higher prices to refill the reserves later......just watch............a big kiss to the oil corporations........

[eringer]

4. The ultimate objective is ...

To evict us from our homes which will be bought by friends of this administration for Pennie’s on the dollar. The middle class will become tenants not homeowners. This includes those who think they are invincible at the $250k level of income as they are gunning for you as well. But go ahead a keep wearing your MAGA caps and voting against your own best interest. Because of your support we now have a DoW instead of a DoD and a ballroom that you can rest assured you will see outside of state run CBS AND FOX.

[sakabatou]

5. How long until we get "We have no reserves left"?

[FBaggins]

19. A very long time. The article exagerates reality somewhat

Last edited Mon May 25, 2026, 10:06 PM - Edit history (1)

The 18 million barrel drawdown was actually over the previous two weeks (rather than the reported one) and does not follow "several weeks of similar declines". In fact, the total drawdown from the recent high point is only about ten percent of the reserve (and that's after the Biden administration brought it down from over 600 million barrels to lower than where it is now.

Neither administration was actually handling it poorly. Peak oil prices are actually a great time to sell and then replace at much lower prices. Biden turned a significant profit on the decision and that's likely what we'll see here as well.

Unless the Gulf turns into a nightmare multi-year issue

https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_ending_stocks_of_crude_oil_in_the_strategic_petroleum_reserve

[BumRushDaShow]

24. The specific draw-down had already been announced in March

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143630864
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143663898

After Biden's releases, the plan by DOE was to buy to refill when the price steadied around $70 - $75/bbl (which it did and they had started buying at some point) -

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143211227 (note that some of the earlier Biden releases had been canceled)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143253559
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143330382

When 45 got in, the filling continued for a bit and was then halted - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-not-complete-oil-deliveries-021647988.html

SPR


Monthly Status (last updated a month ago and will probably be updated this week) - https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/opr/spr-quick-facts

CURRENT (May 15) - https://www.spr.doe.gov/dir/dir.html

History of sales - https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/opr/history-spr-releases

[melm00se]

27. As soon as he writes

a "Truth" about being entirely Biden's fault.

[Norrrm]

7. Yet, Trump is still selling America's oil and calling it 'revenue'?

Making Americans pay higher prices.

[paleotn]

10. Global commodity. There's no such thing as American oil or Saudi oil.

[Norrrm]

11. Yeah! Once it hits the market. If it stayed in America...............

[paleotn]

13. I wish that's how this worked but it isn't.

Most US production, fracked crude, is light sweet. However, much of our refinery capacity is geared to handle heavy, sour crude, higher in sulfur content. The thick stuff we've been importing from Mexico, Canada, Colombia and Venezuela for ages. Long before fracking became a thing. Refinery setup is a function of decades of planning and billions in investment. Much of our refining capacity still can't efficiently refine light sweet, even though we produce more of that grade than nearly anyone. That's why we're not only the biggest exporter on the globe, but also the biggest importer behind China. The details behind that paradox.

[Norrrm]

14. Sounds reasonable.

[popsdenver]

20. BINGO.................

[FBaggins]

23. Most of the SPR is actually "sour" crude

About 60% the last time I checked

[paleotn]

28. Around 80% of US production is lighter grades with relatively less sulfer content.

Much of it from the Permian and Bakken. API gravity ~31 and higher.

https://understand-energy.stanford.edu/news/understand-crude-oil
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_api_adc_mbblpd_m.htm

[FBaggins]

29. Nevertheless... that isn't most of what is stored in the SPR

Two reasons -

Most of the time that withdrawals are made - it's to replace supplies from other sources (anticipating the kinds of issues implied by your earlier concern), and...

Most of what is in there predates fracking (largely from the 80s) and was from when large portions of our imports were sour

[paleotn]

30. Understood, but this side discussion wasn't about the SPR directly.

It's about why the US exports oil and then turns around and imports oil. Why do we not just curtail exports to lower domestic gasoline prices? It's because oil is a global commodity and most of our refining capacity isn't geared for what we produce. Light sweet.

[paleotn]

9. Considering the amount of supply that's offline due to "Donnie's big adventure"

20% of global production, this draw down of strategic reserves is but a drop in the barrel. The 17.8 million barrel weekly decline in reserves is around 2% of global consumption (roughly 103 million barrels per day / 721 million per week.) Demand at pre war levels is more than 40 times larger. It's not enough to do what was intended and puts the US in a weaker position if things get out of hand again. Which they very well could. Once again, Donnie and his clown posse think in terms of minutes. Long term, strategic thinking is alien to morons it seems. They've got to get the damn strait open. Donnie and Nuttyyahoo broke it. They damn sure better fix it fast.

Anecdotal, but in our comings and goings here in VT this holiday weekend, tourist traffic is way down. And it's not like we're far removed from major population centers. It's a 2.5 - 3 hour drive to the Boston suburbs. 3 - 4 hours to NYC. We're maybe just beyond a day drive from the most populated centers in the country. Seems people just aren't driving. Can't blame them.

[chouchou]

15. Not to worry. Soon, we'll be Great !!

[dalton99a]

16. Kick

[Cheezoholic]

21. When we draw it down it goes on the market to be sold at whatever the market is at

In times of different types of temporary economic pressure adding some supply can help somewhat and stabilize prices giving wholesale purchasers of oil byproducts that produce the 10 million things we make from oil a bit of production relief that sends ripples of relief through the economy. But not these fucks. They'll drain it dry foolishly and we have no clue where the proceeds are going (normally into a fund to replenish it but, yeah right).

Remember when Biden sold it it off high and bought it back at roughly 25% less during/after COVID once prices came down and stabilized? Yeah, not a peep from the M$M on any comparison to strategies.

I also remember when this FatFuck SCREAMED about oil dipping below 60bbl and even declared an emergency and GAVE Big Oil Billions right after he got into office in his first term (this Iran shit is their payoff second time around). Literally used the term "Big Beautiful Oil" (sound familiar?). The fucking grift was on straight out of the gate back then. Whatever guardrails there were against these fascists even back then, they were made of wood. Old rotting wood.

[Bayard]

22. But we have all that Venezuelan oil!

Glad we're retired, and not driving much anymore. I feel for people trying to get by on minimum wage, and driving to work at these prices.

[Historic NY]

25. Any word from the Republicans

they'd be screaming if it was Biden. You know the guy that sold high and bought low.

[no_hypocrisy]

26. My guess is that the sh*t will truly hit the fan when there are

* gas shortages

* gas lines (starting before sunrise, maybe overnight)

* gas available every other day

* gas costing $8 or more per gallon

* folks not being able to get to work due to low gas supplies