Cushing builds for a third week to 24.7 million, its highest since May.

Tanks at the WTI delivery point closed the week to 2 October at 24.7 million barrels, up 0.4 million and 4.7 million above the level the trade treats as tank bottoms. Our 12 October pass reads 25.5 million, nine days before the EIA reports that week.

EIA print published 7 October 2026 · Read written 14 October 2026. Figures as published that week.

Crude in tank

24.7 M bbl

Week ending 2 Oct 2026

Change on the week

+0.4 M bbl

Third build in a row

Tanks filled

25.3%

Of 98 million bbl capacity

Against tank bottoms

+4.7 M bbl

Floor taken at 20 million

Our satellite read, as published that week

We measure 25.5 million barrels in tank on 12 October: 26.0% of capacity, and 0.8 million above the 2 October print. That pass falls inside the week ending 16 October, which the EIA publishes on 21 October. The print before it, for the week ending 9 October, lands on Thursday 15 October, a day late for Columbus Day.

25.5 M bbl

80% band 24.1 to 26.7

Satellite estimate · 12 Oct 2026

Chart of crude oil inventories at Cushing, Oklahoma, weekly over three years to the week ending 2 October 2026: 24.7 million barrels, against a 20 million barrel tank bottoms line, with the Cushing Watch satellite read of 25.5 million on 12 October. — Cushing, Oklahoma crude oil inventories to the week ending 2 October 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration; satellite read: Cushing Watch. Free to republish with credit to Cushing Watch and a link to this page. Full-size PNG

The read

Three builds since our last read, and a miss on 18 September

Cushing has added 3.3 million barrels in three weeks, from 21.5 million in the week to 11 September to 24.7 million in the week to 2 October, its highest level since mid-May and 2.0 million above the same week last year. Each build was smaller than the one before: 2.3 million, then 0.6, then 0.4.

Our 18 September read was a miss. We put the hub at 22.5 million and the EIA printed 23.7 million for that week, 1.3 million higher and above the top of our 80% band of 21.3 to 23.5. We had the direction right, a build, but called it at about a million barrels when the hub took in 2.3 million.

Our 12 October pass reads 25.5 million, with an 80% band of 24.1 to 26.7, about 0.8 million above the latest print. It falls in the week to 16 October, which the EIA reports on 21 October. The print for the week to 9 October comes a day late, on Thursday 15 October, after the Columbus Day holiday.