America's Emergency Oil Reserve Is Shrinking Fast

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

May 25, 2026 at 05:00 AM EDT


America’s oil stockpiles are shrinking rapidly, with U.S. crude inventories posting consecutive weekly declines, exports surging and the country drawing down from its emergency supplies to offset the impact of the war with Iran on global energy markets.

According to recently released figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), total crude inventories fell by 17.8 million barrels for the week ending May 15. The record drop follows several weeks of similarly steep declines that have brought total stocks (including those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) to their lowest level in almost a year.

As analysts told Newsweek, the declines are eroding a critical safety buffer designed to protect the U.S.—and the prices consumers pay at the bump—during major supply shocks, and will offer the country less flexibility to respond if conditions deteriorate further.

Since the beginning of the war on February 28, the closure of the Hormuz Strait—through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil previously passed—has pushed global oil prices to multi-year highs and led to what the director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called the “largest energy crisis in history.”

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/americas-emergency-oil-reserve-is-shrinking-fast-11983476

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Link to EIA REPORT page - Weekly Petroleum Status Report

Link to EIA REPORT (PDF) - https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/wpsrall.pdf

[LakeVermilion]

1. But we're energy independent...

and we produce the most oil in the world.

One more time: “drill baby, drill!”

[littlemissmartypants]

2. How many days away from DJ making a deal with Russia for oil does anyone think that we are?

Is that possibly his plan?

I mean, because he's a psychopath I know that he could not care less about how many of us regular people he hurts, but we prop up the oligarchy, don't we?

[Grins]

6. "We have all the oil we need!" Someone once said not long ago...

[BarbD]

8. Plan??? What plan???

Do we need a plan????

[republianmushroom]

12. Plan, nope, they had a concept.

A beautiful concept. USA ! USA ! USA !

[slightlv]

3. Seems like the way I'm having to use credit cards for just "living"

is just the way the government uses the country... !

exports surging and the country drawing down from its emergency supplies

Exports are surging. But the strategic reserve isn't being replenished as we draw it down dangerously. The logical, smart thing to do would be to move some of those "exports" into the Reserve. Or, move the exports to areas in our own country so we didn't have to draw down the Reserve in a vain attempt to lower prices by a penny or two. But that makes sense (at least to me!). Instead, we're allowing oil companies to export the oil to other countries at large price upwrites for greater profit for themselves. If our own country goes dry and dark? So what? At least the big boys have their money!

These people are country-less. They belong no where. Talk about people who need to be deported out of this country! They pay as little to live here as possible, passing their expenses and taxes on to us, the common people. And yet they're the first to yell when their profits, "speech," or "freedoms" look like they're being abridged. Frankly, I think they should be deported to any country where oil is king. That would be the only place they could even begin to pledge allegiance.

Meanwhile, we have the stupidest government on record in charge right now during a crisis that'll make the 70's and 80's look like Disneyland. JMO... YMMV.

[eringer]

4. The ultimate objective is ...

To evict us from our homes which will be bought by friends of this administration for Pennie’s on the dollar. The middle class will become tenants not homeowners. This includes those who think they are invincible at the $250k level of income as they are gunning for you as well. But go ahead a keep wearing your MAGA caps and voting against your own best interest. Because of your support we now have a DoW instead of a DoD and a ballroom that you can rest assured you will see outside of state run CBS AND FOX.

[sakabatou]

5. How long until we get "We have no reserves left"?

[Norrrm]

7. Yet, Trump is still selling America's oil and calling it 'revenue'?

Making Americans pay higher prices.

[paleotn]

10. Global commodity. There's no such thing as American oil or Saudi oil.

[Norrrm]

11. Yeah! Once it hits the market. If it stayed in America...............

[paleotn]

13. I wish that's how this worked but it isn't.

Most US production, fracked crude, is light sweet. However, much of our refinery capacity is geared to handle heavy, sour crude, higher in sulfur content. The thick stuff we've been importing from Mexico, Canada, Colombia and Venezuela for ages. Long before fracking became a thing. Refinery setup is a function of decades of planning and billions in investment. Much of our refining capacity still can't efficiently refine light sweet, even though we produce more of that grade than nearly anyone. That's why we're not only the biggest exporter on the globe, but also the biggest importer behind China. The details behind that paradox.

[paleotn]

9. Considering the amount of supply that's offline due to "Donnie's big adventure"

20% of global production, this draw down of strategic reserves is but a drop in the barrel. The 17.8 million barrel weekly decline in reserves is around 2% of global consumption (roughly 103 million barrels per day / 721 million per week.) Demand at pre war levels is more than 40 times larger. It's not enough to do what was intended and puts the US in a weaker position if things get out of hand again. Which they very well could. Once again, Donnie and his clown posse think in terms of minutes. Long term, strategic thinking is alien to morons it seems. They've got to get the damn strait open. Donnie and Nuttyyahoo broke it. They damn sure better fix it fast.

Anecdotal, but in our comings and goings here in VT this holiday weekend, tourist traffic is way down. And it's not like we're far removed from major population centers. It's a 2.5 - 3 hour drive to the Boston suburbs. 3 - 4 hours to NYC. We're maybe just beyond a day drive from the most populated centers in the country. Seems people just aren't driving. Can't blame them.