Depleted strategic oil reserve nears level that raises concerns about damage to caverns, operations

Key Points The rapid drawdown of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve could damage the caverns that store the oil, experts warn. The SPR has tumbled below 300 million barrels for the first time since it was filled in the early 1980s, according to federal data released this week. The SPR faces elevated risks to its operations and cavern integrity as inventories continue to drop. ===================================================================== The caverns that hold the U.S. strategic oil reserve could get damaged by the rapid release of stockpiles in response to the Iran war, experts warned this week as inventories hit a four-decade low. Damage...