Strategic Petroleum Reserve hits lowest level since 1982

Published August 24, 2026 12:23pm ET



The Strategic Petroleum Reserve hit the lowest level in 44 years last week, as the Trump administration continues to release crude oil to prevent prices of products such as gasoline from surging even further, as global oil supplies remain strained. 

Data released on Monday by the Department of Energy revealed that the government released 3.7 million barrels of oil last week, causing inventories to fall to the lowest they’ve been since 1982. 

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