how much oil does china have in its strategic reserve

China’s strategic oil reserves are commonly estimated at about 1.2 to 1.4 billion barrels , with recent reporting putting the total stockpiles around 1.2 billion barrels and some estimates as high as 1.4 billion barrels.

What that means

• That is a large buffer , but it is not a precise, fully transparent figure.

• The number can shift as China draws down reserves or adds to them. Recent reporting says China reduced reserves by nearly 25 million barrels between May and June 7, 2026.

• Analysts also note China’s official and unofficial crude reserves have helped stabilize oil markets this year.

Plain-English takeaway

If you want one quick number, about 1.2 billion barrels is a reasonable current estimate, with 1.4 billion barrels also cited by some market reports.

Source notes

These estimates come from recent market reporting and analysis, not from a single official public inventory release.

TL;DR: China’s strategic oil reserve is roughly 1.2–1.4 billion barrels.