U.S. oil reserves are so low amid Trump’s Iran war the caverns holding them could be damaged

Key Points:

• The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has fallen to its lowest level in 40 years, with inventories dropping below 300 million barrels for the first time since the 1980s, raising concerns about the structural integrity of its underground salt caverns.
• Experts warn that repeated rapid drawdowns and water injections to extract oil are causing salt wall erosion, thinning critical pillars, and increasing the risk of cavern collapse, which could permanently damage the reserve’s storage capacity.
• The SPR was originally designed for five full drawdowns but has undergone dozens over four decades, leading to severe cavern deformation and weakening of the facility’s structural integrity, according to petroleum engineering experts and government oversight reports.
• Despite these warnings, the Department of Energy denies any imminent risk of cavern collapse, stating that the caverns remain full with varying oil-to-water ratios and asserting responsible management of the reserve as a national security asset.
• The reserve’s depletion coincides with record-high gas prices for American drivers and ongoing releases tied to geopolitical tensions, including the war with Iran and previous draws following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further straining the facility’s long-term viability.