U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve nears operational floor as salt caverns approach physical limits

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve's crude inventory has fallen to roughly 293 million barrels, below the 300 million threshold that marks a practical operational floor. The system's salt caverns must maintain a permanent fluid volume to prevent collapse, and federal law imposes a statutory stop at 25 million barrels, leaving little buffer against supply disruptions. This dwindling reserve heightens concerns about America's ability to respond to geopolitical shocks in oil markets.