The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels for the first time since 1983, highlighting growing pressure on America's emergency energy stockpile.
According to recently released Energy Department data, the reserve fell to about 298.7 million barrels after a weekly drawdown of roughly 6.1 million barrels.
The decline comes amid oil releases linked to the Iran conflict and disruptions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices also climbed, with West Texas Intermediate reaching about $82.13 a barrel and Brent crude rising to roughly $87.72.
The Government Accountability Office has separately warned that aging SPR infrastructure could threaten its operational capacity and called for a coordinated maintenance strategy.
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US emergency oil reserve falls below 300M barrels for first time since 1980shttps://t.co/2zQpP6WcUd
— The Hill (@thehill) August 10, 2026
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