The SPR — the world's largest emergency oil stockpile — currently holds 298.7 million barrels in Gulf Coast salt caverns (EIA, as of 2026-08-07), against a ~714 million barrel capacity. What it's for, how releases work, and what the 2022 drawdown changed.
| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Current level | 298.7 M bbl | EIA weekly, 2026-08-07 (auto-updates) |
| Authorized capacity | ≈714 M bbl | 4 salt-cavern sites, TX & LA |
| Historical peak | ≈727 M bbl | 2009–2010 |
| Post-2022 trough | ≈347 M bbl | After the 180 M bbl Ukraine-war release |
| Max drawdown rate | ≈4.4 M bbl/day | Oil reaches market ~13 days after a presidential order |
Compare government stockpiles worldwide on strategic reserves by country — note the SPR (government emergency oil) is a different thing from proven reserves (oil in the ground) and from commercial inventories in the weekly EIA report.
The US SPR holds 298.7 million barrels as of 2026-08-07 (EIA weekly data — this figure updates automatically). Authorized capacity is about 714 million barrels; the reserve peaked near 727 million in 2009–10 and fell to ~347 million after the record 2022 drawdown, with slow refilling since.
At the current 298.7 million barrels, the SPR equals roughly 31 days of total US net petroleum imports — but that's a bookkeeping measure. Maximum drawdown capability is about 4.4 million barrels per day, so in a total-cutoff scenario the reserve could sustain months of partial replacement, not a full substitute for imports.
In roughly 60 underground salt caverns at four sites along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast (Bryan Mound, Big Hill, West Hackberry, Bayou Choctaw). Salt caverns are cheap, secure and self-sealing, and the Gulf location sits next to half of US refining capacity and major pipelines.
Modestly and temporarily. Studies of the 2022 release — 180 million barrels, the largest ever — credit it with roughly 15–40 cents per gallon of relief at the peak. Releases work best against short disruptions; they cannot offset a sustained global shortfall, and barrels sold must eventually be bought back.