UnitConvConvert
bbl
Volumeindustrial

What is a barrel?

The global crude-oil pricing unit — 42 US gallons = 158.987 L

Definition

The oil barrel equals 158.987 litres or 42 US gallons. It is the global pricing unit for crude oil and petroleum products. The US dry barrel (115.6 L) and UK beer barrel (163.7 L) are different units that share the same name.

Common uses

  • Crude oil international pricing (Brent, WTI)
  • Petroleum product reporting (OPEC, EIA)
  • Energy-sector financial reporting

🌍 Real-world scale

Brent crude and WTI oil are priced in US dollars per barrel. Global oil demand is about 100 million barrels per day.

Convert from barrels

14 conversions
Barrel to Liter1 bbl = 158.987 LBarrel to Milliliter1 bbl = 158,987.29 mlBarrel to Cubic Meter1 bbl = 0.159 m³Barrel to US Gallon1 bbl = 42 gal (US)Barrel to UK Gallon1 bbl = 34.9723 gal (UK)Barrel to Fluid Ounce1 bbl = 5,376 fl ozBarrel to Cup1 bbl = 662.447 cupBarrel to Pint1 bbl = 336 ptBarrel to Quart1 bbl = 168 qtBarrel to Tablespoon1 bbl = 10,742.38 tbspBarrel to Teaspoon1 bbl = 32,256.01 tspBarrel to Cubic Inch1 bbl = 9,702 in³Barrel to Cubic Foot1 bbl = 5.61458 ft³Barrel to Cubic Yard1 bbl = 0.2079 yd³

Convert to barrels

14 conversions
Liter to Barrel1 L = 0.00629 bblMilliliter to Barrel1 ml = 6.2898e-6 bblCubic Meter to Barrel1 m³ = 6.28981 bblUS Gallon to Barrel1 gal (US) = 0.02381 bblUK Gallon to Barrel1 gal (UK) = 0.02859 bblFluid Ounce to Barrel1 fl oz = 0.000186 bblCup to Barrel1 cup = 0.00151 bblPint to Barrel1 pt = 0.002976 bblQuart to Barrel1 qt = 0.005952 bblTablespoon to Barrel1 tbsp = 9.3089e-5 bblTeaspoon to Barrel1 tsp = 3.1002e-5 bblCubic Inch to Barrel1 in³ = 0.0001031 bblCubic Foot to Barrel1 ft³ = 0.1781 bblCubic Yard to Barrel1 yd³ = 4.80891 bbl

Tips

  • 1 oil barrel = 42 US gallons = 158.987 L exactly.
  • Barrel prices quoted in USD — watch currency impact on non-US economies.
  • Different industries (beer, dry goods) use different barrel sizes — oil barrel is a specific unit.

Common mistakes

  • Using beer barrel (163.7 L) or dry barrel (115.6 L) in oil contexts.
  • Confusing barrel of oil with barrel of beer — different volumes.
  • Assuming barrels are standard worldwide — only oil industry uses the 42 gallon version globally.

FAQ about the barrel

What is a barrel?
The oil barrel equals 158.987 litres or 42 US gallons. It is the global pricing unit for crude oil and petroleum products. The US dry barrel (115.6 L) and UK beer barrel (163.7 L) are different units that share the same name.
Where is the barrel used?
The barrel is commonly used for: Crude oil international pricing (Brent, WTI); Petroleum product reporting (OPEC, EIA); Energy-sector financial reporting.
What is an example of a barrel in real life?
Brent crude and WTI oil are priced in US dollars per barrel. Global oil demand is about 100 million barrels per day.
What category does the barrel belong to?
The barrel is a unit of volume, part of the 15-unit volume category on UnitConv.
How accurate are barrel conversions?
All conversion factors follow NIST and BIPM international standards to 8 significant figures — the highest practical accuracy.
Explore all 15 volume units and their conversions.🧪 Volume hub →