| Series | First | Latest | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crude stocks | 609.22 | 711.80 | 607.78 | 1227.68 |
| Commercial crude stocks | 338.76 | 406.99 | 247.32 | 540.72 |
| SPR crude stocks | 270.45 | 304.81 | 270.45 | 726.62 |
total = commercial + SPR (EIA WCRSTUS1 ≈ WCESTUS1 + WCSSTUS1)Total U.S. crude oil stocks (EIA series WCRSTUS1, million barrels), split into its two components: commercial stocks excluding the SPR (WCESTUS1) and the SPR itself (WCSSTUS1). The total is the sum of the two components as published by EIA, so the lines reconcile to the total within source rounding.
As of 31 July 2026, the latest readings are Total crude stocks at 711.80 Million Barrels, Commercial crude stocks at 406.99 Million Barrels and SPR crude stocks at 304.81 Million Barrels. The Total crude stocks line is down 13.9% over the past year and below its long-run median of 900.49 Million Barrels.
The 2022-23 episode is the clearest example: the SPR release added barrels to the market while the reserve itself drained, and the total barely moved even as commercial balances swung. The total line is the arithmetic sum. the components are where the story lives. When the two components diverge, the total says less than either half.
Commercial stocks respond to market forces. Refinery demand, trade flows, prices. While the SPR responds to policy. Plotting the three lines together makes the divergence visible on sight: policy drawdowns show up as the SPR line falling while the commercial line follows its own cycle, and vice versa for refills.
EIA publishes the total separately from the components, so the sum of commercial plus SPR reconciles to the total within source rounding. A small residual can persist because EIA rounds each series before publication. The three lines are the three published series, not one derived from the others.
The total double-counts nothing but tells no single story. It blends a market inventory with a policy stockpile. Treat the components as the analytic units and the total as the headline number; The chart is context for supply conditions, not investment advice.
The total figure is the number cited in headlines and the EIA's own summary . 'total U.S. crude stocks fell to X'. This page keeps that headline reconcilable to its parts, so a reader can see at a glance whether a move in the total was commercial (market-driven) or SPR (policy-driven).
As of 31 July 2026, the latest readings are Total crude stocks at 711.80 Million Barrels, Commercial crude stocks at 406.99 Million Barrels and SPR crude stocks at 304.81 Million Barrels. The Total crude stocks line is down 13.9% over the past year and below its long-run median of 900.49 Million Barrels.
This benchmark is built on weekly data. The page is refreshed when the source publishes new observations; the freshness block below the chart shows the exact data-through date and when PIER20 last fetched the file.
The chart is built from Total crude stocks, Commercial crude stocks and SPR crude stocks, sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Because they answer to different forces. Commercial stocks follow the market balance. Refinery runs, imports, exports, prices. The SPR follows federal policy. Drawdown authorisations and refill schedules. The 2022-23 period ran them against each other: policy released SPR barrels while commercial inventories built.
The commercial page covers only industry-held stocks, which is the series the market trades. This page adds the SPR, so the total includes a policy stockpile that never trades. For market analysis, the commercial page is the cleaner number; for 'how much crude does the U.S. hold', this page is the answer.
Within rounding, yes . EIA publishes the total and the components separately, and the sum of the components equals the total to source rounding. The chart plots the published series as-is.
One tested idea, through the evidence stack. No migration of any kind.