U.S. Strategic Reserves Near 40-Year Low Threaten Salt Caverns

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels—the lowest in four decades—and is expected to drain to about 243 million barrels as 172 million barrels are released to blunt disruptions tied to the Iran conflict. The SPR’s oil is stored in 60 salt caverns across Texas and Louisiana with a total capacity of 714 million barrels. Continued drawdowns raise concerns among engineers that salt walls may widen, salt may dissolve, and thermal shocks could damage the caverns’ ability to pump oil quickly in emergencies. The Department of Energy says caverns remain viable and only the oil–water mix changes, while GAO warns that repeated drawdowns could threaten long‑term viability. Some experts, like Siddharth Misra, also note a practical operating floor around 70 million barrels and warn that dropping below ~300 million increases risk to cavern integrity.