U.S. oil reserves fall to lowest level since 1982

Crude oil inventories in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to 283.8 million barrels last week, Reuters reported.

This is the lowest figure since October 1982, according to the US Department of Energy. The reduction in reserves is due to the implementation of the decision taken in March 2026 to provide up to 172 million barrels of oil from SPR as part of exchange operations. Companies must return the received oil with a premium in the form of additional volumes.

On September 27, as President Donald Trump said, the United States exported a record volume of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, exceeding the figures recorded before the conflict in the Middle East.

Trump also noted that oil is now cheaper than under his predecessor, Joe Biden. According to the head of state, oil prices will decline even more. “Oil will begin to fall as soon as the war is over (and it will soon be) and demand falls. Oil will fall rapidly, and its prices will fall, the Republican added.

In July, about 25 percent of the U.S. strategic oil reserve (SPR) became unavailable due to the infrastructure crisis. This reserve of “emergency” oil is used during emergencies, as well as for price regulation.