The SPR is at a 43-year low — but the viral chart starts after the fill-up
Stocks fell about 25% from March to July during the Iran-war release; the reserve last held this little oil while it was still being built in 1983.
Trump authorized a 172-million-barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve exchange as the U.S. share of a coordinated 400-million-barrel release after Iran-related supply disruption. EIA data show U.S. stocks falling from roughly 415 million barrels in March to 311.4 million on July 17.
The chart that circulated
The complete EIA history
U.S. EIA monthly data through April 2026 and weekly data through July 17, 2026.