Verdict: Mostly True. Department of Energy data reported on August 10, 2026, put the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at 298.7 million barrels, supporting the central claim; however, the available evidence does not establish the precise “first time since it was fully filled” comparison.
Mostly True
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels for the first time since it was fully filled
What was submitted
The Claim
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels for the first time since it was fully filled
FactVerify
Source: factverify.com
At a glance
Verified August 10, 2026Key Evidence
The reserve fell by 6.1 million barrels to 298.7 million barrels during the preceding reporting week, according to data released by the Department of Energy.
The reported 298.7-million-barrel level was described as the reserve’s lowest since January 1983.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
What is established
The Department of Energy records that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve reached full capacity on December 27, 2009.
The reported inventory is below 300 million barrels.
Context and caveats
The evidence does not show that this was the first time the reserve fell below 300 million barrels after the December 27, 2009, full-capacity milestone: the cited historical comparison reaches back to January 1983, before that milestone.
The report describes the figure as applying to “last week,” but the available excerpt does not provide the exact official inventory date or clarify whether it corresponds precisely to August 10, 2026.
The exact reporting date and measurement basis for the 298.7-million-barrel figure are not specified in the available evidence.
The available evidence does not provide a complete post-December 27, 2009, historical series needed to confirm the “first time since it was fully filled” wording.
Primary trail