Convert Barrel to Liter (bbl → L)

Converting barrels to liters is straightforward: multiply by the conversion factor. Follow these three steps to do it by hand or in your head.

1. 1
   Take your value in barrels

   Start with the number of barrels (bbl) you want to convert.
2. 2
   Multiply by 158.98729

   The conversion factor from bbl to L is 158.98729. Multiply your value by this number.
3. 3
   Read the result in liters

   The result is your value in liters (L).

Multiply the value in barrels by 158.98729. For the reverse direction, multiply by 0.00629.

• ✓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.

• ✗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.

What is the Barrel?

The oil barrel equals exactly 42 US gallons (158.987 liters) and is the global benchmark unit for crude oil pricing and trading. The 42-gallon size dates to the 1860s Pennsylvania oil boom, when oil was shipped in repurposed wooden barrels of various sizes; the standard settled at 42 gallons as a practical industry compromise. Today, the oil barrel is virtually synonymous with crude oil — Brent crude and WTI prices are quoted per barrel ($/bbl), OPEC tracks production in barrels per day, and proven reserves are listed in billions of barrels. Despite metrication, the barrel persists in petroleum trading and journalism worldwide. It relates to the US gallon (1 bbl = 42 US gal), the cubic meter (1 bbl ≈ 0.159 m³), and the liter (1 bbl ≈ 159 L). Note that beer and wine barrels have different volumes.

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

What is the Liter?

The liter equals exactly 1 cubic decimeter (1 dm³ = 0.001 m³) and is the everyday metric unit for liquids worldwide. Adopted as part of the metric system in the 1790s, the liter is used universally for beverages, fuel, household chemicals, and cooking liquids — except in the United States where gallons and fluid ounces dominate. The liter has special connection to mass: pure water at 4°C has almost exactly 1 kg per liter, a relationship designed into the metric system. Soda, milk, and water bottles in metric countries come in 0.5 L, 1 L, 1.5 L, and 2 L sizes. The liter relates to the milliliter (1,000 mL = 1 L), the cubic meter (1,000 L = 1 m³), the US gallon (1 L ≈ 0.264 gal), and the UK gallon (1 L ≈ 0.220 imp gal). Although not strictly an SI base unit, the liter is one of the most-used metric units globally.

• Bottled beverages and milk in Europe
• Petrol and diesel pricing in metric countries
• Engine displacement (car engines rated in litres)