Less than 300 million barrels left: the engineering limits threatening the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The American Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has an authorized capacity of 714 million barrels spread across caverns in Texas and Louisiana, currently holds approximately 293 million barrels. Operating near the 300-million-barrel threshold is hazardous, as federal law dictates a statutory stop at 252.4 million barrels. Crossing this legal limit transforms the reserve from an economic buffer into a restricted emergency asset.