Convert petroleum barrels to liters in seconds
1 bbl x 158.987294928 = 158.987294928 l
Discover other related calculators
Ever wondered how much crude oil actually fits in those giant tankers you see in documentaries? Or maybe you're comparing fuel prices across countries and need to make sense of different volume units? Converting between petroleum barrels and liters is more than just math - it's your gateway to understanding global energy markets. Let's break it down in human terms, no PhD required.
Unit definitions
What is a petroleum barrel (bbl)?
- Description: Standard measurement unit in oil industry
- Symbol: bbl
- Common uses: Crude oil trading, production statistics
- Definition: 1 barrel = 42 US gallons = 158.987294928 liters
What is a liter (l)?
- Description: Metric system's base volume unit
- Symbol: l (or L)
- Common uses: Fuel sales, scientific measurements
- Definition: 1 liter = 0.001 cubic meters = 1,000 cubic centimeters
Conversion formula
Barrels to liters:
liters = barrels × 158.987294928
Liters to barrels:
barrels = liters ÷ 158.987294928
Example calculations
- Converting 5 barrels to liters:
5 × 158.987294928 = 794.9365 liters - Converting 2,000 liters to barrels:
2000 ÷ 158.987294928 ≈ 12.579 barrels
Conversion tables
Barrels to liters
| Barrels | Liters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 158.9873 |
| 2 | 317.9746 |
| 3 | 476.9619 |
| 4 | 635.9492 |
| 5 | 794.9365 |
| 10 | 1,589.8730 |
| 20 | 3,179.7459 |
| 50 | 7,949.3647 |
| 100 | 15,898.7295 |
| 500 | 79,493.6475 |
Liters to barrels
| Liters | Barrels |
|---|---|
| 100 | 0.6294 |
| 500 | 3.1469 |
| 1,000 | 6.2939 |
| 5,000 | 31.4695 |
| 10,000 | 62.9391 |
| 50,000 | 314.6954 |
| 100,000 | 629.3908 |
| 500,000 | 3,146.9541 |
| 1,000,000 | 6,293.9082 |
| 5,000,000 | 31,469.5410 |
Historical background
The petroleum barrels story begins in 1860s Pennsylvania oil fields. Workers originally used 40-gallon whisky barrels, but they leaked too much. The 42-gallon version emerged as a compromise - big enough for transport, small enough to handle manually. The extra 2 gallons? That was supposedly to account for evaporation losses during shipment, though some historians argue it was just easier math when calculating tax payments.
The liter's journey started during the French Revolution. Scientists wanted measurement units based on natural constants rather than royal decrees. They defined the liter in 1795 as the volume of 1 kilogram of water, though later refinements made it exactly 1 cubic decimeter. Fun fact: the original liter prototype was called the "cadil" and made from brass.
Interesting facts
- The global oil industry produces about 100 million barrels daily - that's 15.9 billion liters every single day
- Spilling one barrel of oil can contaminate 1 million liters of water
- Your car's gas tank holds roughly 0.63 barrels (100 liters) when full
- Norway's sovereign wealth fund, built on oil revenues, could buy 1.5 trillion barrels of crude at current prices
- The "teacup" measurement in oil drilling equals 118.294 liters - about 0.744 barrels
FAQ
The 42-gallon standard came from early oil transport practices in 19th-century Pennsylvania. It allowed safe handling compared to larger whisky barrels.
Remember 1 barrel ≈ 159 liters. For quick estimates, multiply barrels by 160 and subtract 1% from the result.
Mostly yes, but Russia and China sometimes use metric tons. The barrel remains dominant in global trading despite metric system prevalence.
Modern transactions use the 42-gallon unit symbolically. Actual storage uses tanks or supertankers holding millions of barrels.
Crude oil expands with heat, but industry conversions use standardized volumes at 60°F (15.6°C) to ensure consistency.