America’s Empty Oil Vault

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has dropped to levels not seen since October 1982, dropping below 284 million barrels.

The SPR isn’t just a standard tank; it utilizes underground salt caverns where oil floats on a layer of water. Drawing inventories too low (nearing the 200–250 million barrel threshold) risks pulling up an unmanageable oil-water mixture, causing pressure drops, and potentially damaging the structural integrity of the caverns.