The United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) dropped by 5.5 million barrels last week, reaching 326 million barrels—the lowest amount recorded since May 1983. According to Zerohedge, this marks the thirteenth consecutive week of declines, the longest downward streak since the 2021‑2023 period. Over the same span, the SPR has shed 89 million barrels, equivalent to 51.7% of the 172‑million‑barrel release plan coordinated by the International Energy Agency to curb energy costs. By contrast, between July 2023 and March 2026 the U.S. had added about 69 million barrels to its strategic reserves.