Barrels ↔ Gallons

1 oil barrel = 42 US gallons exactly.

1 bbl = 42 US gal = 158.987 L

One oil barrel (bbl) is defined as exactly 42 US gallons — the long-standing petroleum industry standard.

1 bbl42 US gal
1 bbl158.987 L
1 bbl0.158987 m³
1 bbl5.6146 ft³
1 m³6.2898 bbl

How to convert barrels to gallons

In the oil and gas industry, a barrel (bbl) is a unit of volume equal to exactly 42 US gallons (about 158.987 liters). This 42-gallon standard dates to the early petroleum era and is different from a standard 55-gallon steel drum.

To convert barrels to gallons, multiply by 42. To go the other way, divide gallons by 42. The converter above also handles liters, cubic meters and cubic feet — the other volume units you will see on tickets, tank gauges and pipeline statements.

Why 42 gallons?

The 42-gallon barrel was standardized in 1872 by the Petroleum Producers Association, borrowed from the older watertight tierce used for shipping. It stuck, and today every barrel of oil quoted in a price or production figure means 42 US gallons.

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