Amidst the ongoing conflict, an important information has come to light. India’s strategic crude oil reserves are enough to meet “about 9.5 days’ requirements” if there is any disruption in oil imports, according to an RTI (Right to Information) query filed by *India Today* with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The RTI reply further stated that the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) program was first approved on January 7, 2004, and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) was set up on June 16, 2004, to implement it. At present, India has a total SPR storage capacity of 5.33 million metric tonnes (MMT) at three locations: Visakhapatnam (1.33 MMT), Mangaluru (1.5 MMT), and Padur (2.5 MMT).
What did the government say about strategic petroleum reserves?
In a statement made in the Rajya Sabha on March 23, 2026, it was said that ISPRL currently has reserves of about 3.372 MMT of crude oil, which is about 64% of the total storage capacity. The RTI report further clarified that the figures related to general oil reserves keep changing, as they depend on the reserves available at that time and the level of consumption. The RTI response also revealed that in July 2021, the government had approved the expansion of the SPR network, allowing the setting up of two more facilities for emergency oil reserves: one at Chandikhol (Odisha), which will have a capacity of 4 MMT, and the other at Padur (Karnataka), which will have a capacity of 2.5 MMT.
How are strategic oil reserves different from normal oil reserves?
Strategic petroleum reserves are underground reserves maintained by governments to respond to emergencies such as war, natural disasters, or supply disruptions. These reserves work to ensure the energy security of the country. In simple words, they serve as India’s emergency oil reserves. In contrast, normal crude oil reserves are held by refineries for commercial use (typically the production of gasoline and diesel).
What is the total quantity of crude oil reserves with India?
According to media reports, India has so much combined reserves of petroleum, crude oil, crude oil and emergency reserves, which can last for 60 to 70 days. Apart from this, while speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also confirmed that India has sufficient oil reserves. On Monday, Minister of State for Petroleum Suresh Gopi said that, taking all types of fuels together, India has total energy reserves that are enough for 74 days.
