If you read the link, it actually says that it is higher than it was a year ago, and that the lowest levels were in 2022, which was only 4 years ago, not 40. Where did that headline come from?
The reserve held more than 415 million barrels as of the end of last month, up from about 395 million barrels at this time in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
The reserve was created after the 1970s Arab oil embargo to give the United States a supply that could be used in an emergency. The amount of oil inside peaked more than a decade and a half ago, Energy Department data shows, when the reserve held more than 726.6 million barrels at one point.
Today, the U.S. exports more petroleum than it imports. But the reserve remains and has been tapped for various reasons over time, from offsetting the impact of hurricanes and ship-channel closings to raising money for deficit reduction.
Former presidents have turned to the reserve amid supply disruptions spanning from geopolitical conflicts, adding more supply onto the market in the hope of pushing prices lower. President Joe Biden drew significantly from the reserve in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. Back in 1991, President George H.W. Bush also authorized withdrawing nearly 34 million barrels during the Gulf War, although only 17 million barrels were used. And in 2011, President Barack Obama approved the release of 30 million barrels to offset the disruption of supply from Libya.
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