On the other hand, there are efforts to avoid this ambiguity, and most of the barrel dealers today prefer to use bbl, instead of Mbbl, mbbl, MMbbl or mmbbl. The Drake Well, the first oil well in the US, was drilled in Pennsylvania in 1859, and an oil boom followed in the 1860s. Your value gets instantly converted to all other units on the page. After the American Revolution in 1776, American merchants continued to use the same size barrels. In the United States, the 42 US-gallon size of barrel as a unit of measure is largely confined to the oil industry, while different sizes of barrel are used in other industries. Some of these barrels would originally have been used for other products, such as beer, fish, molasses, or turpentine. The energy contained in a barrel of oil is approximately 5.8 million British thermal units (MBtus) or 1,700 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy. The cranberry barrel, however, measures 5,826 cubic inches. But when necessary, such volume is converted to a volume of oil of equivalent enthalpy of combustion. In the oil field, it is often important to differentiate between rates of production of fluids, which may be a mix of oil and water, and rates of production of the oil itself. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... …crude oil is measured in barrels of 42 gallons each; the weight per barrel of API 30° light oil is about 306 pounds. Outside the United States, volumes of oil are usually reported in cubic metres (m3) instead of oil barrels. Canadian companies operate internally and report to Canadian governments in cubic metres, but often convert to US barrels for the benefit of American investors and oil marketers. 256, 240 and 208 gallons) were also used. Using the approximate value 159 litre is about 0.013% off. In many other countries, crude oil is measured in metric tons. [9], In the worldwide oil industry, an oil barrel is defined as 42 US gallons, which is about 159 litres,[10] or 35 imperial gallons.[11]. barrel: see English units of measurement English units of measurement, principal system of weights and measures used in a few nations, the only major industrial one being the United States. This is a conversion chart for barrel (U.S. Dry Measure). A barrel can technically be used to specify any volume. Then there's the dash, as in, "just a dash of salt," which is between 1/16 … You can view more details on each measurement unit: barrel [US, petroleum] or millififth The SI derived unit for volume is the cubic meter. In contrast, one tonne of crude oil might occupy 6.5 barrels (1,030 litres; 273 US gallons), and one tonne of gasoline will require 7.9 barrels (1,260 litres; 332 US gallons). Temperature is measured in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). What is volume Instant conversions Conversion tables Rate conversions; 1 bbl = 0.0001288930976 ac-ft bbl>ac-ft ac-ft>bbl What is ac-ft; 1 bbl = 233 804.846 cap 0 bbl>0 0>bbl What is 0; 1 bbl = 176 652.55 cap 00 bbl>00 00>bbl What is 00 We assume you are converting between barrel [US, petroleum] and millififth. Sofas: Measure the width (A) and diagonal depth (B). One barrel of oil is 158.987 litres (42 US gallons). Barrel, unit of both liquid and dry measure in the British Imperial and United States Customary systems, ranging from 31.5 to 42 gallons for liquids and fixed at 7,056 cubic inches (105 dry quarts, or 115.63 litres) for most fruits, vegetables, and other dry commodities. The task of converting this standard barrel of oil to a standard cubic metre of oil is complicated by the fact that the standard cubic metre is defined by the American Petroleum Institute to mean the amount of oil that at 101.325 kPa and 15 °C (59.0 °F) occupies 1 cubic metre. These units are sometimes used to measure the volume of lumber in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. If you need to convert US beer barrel to another compatible unit, please pick the one you need on the page below. Some products have a standard weight or volume that constitutes a barrel: Fluid barrels vary depending on what is being measured and where. In the case of water-injection wells, in the United States it is common to refer to the injectivity rate in barrels of water per day (bwd). Other terms are used when discussing only oil. In the United States a 40-gallon barrel for proof spirits has been legally recognized, and federal taxes on fermented liquors are calculated on a barrel of 31 gallons. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units are roughly double the volumes of others; volumes in common use range approximately from 100 to 200 litres (22 to 44 imp gal; 26 to 53 US gal). In California, “additional other petroleum products such as alkylates” are added to the crude to create a “processing gain,” such that: The first one is from U.S. Brewery Cask Units.The second one is from U.S. These are derived from the Latin "mille", meaning "thousand". A standardized hogshead measured 48 inches (1,219 mm) long and 30 inches (762 mm) in diameter at the head (at least 550 L or 121 imp gal or 145 US gal, depending on the width in the middle). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Oxygen enters a barrel when water or alcohol is lost due to evaporation, a portion known as the "angels' share". Liquid Measure. Severe damage can occur when the measuring head enters the feedport of the barrel. A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. Oil wells recover not just oil from the ground, but also natural gas and water. drum [metric, petroleum] SI unit: cubic meter The SI derived unit for volume is the cubic meter. Since medieval times the term barrel as a unit of measure has had various meanings throughout Europe, ranging from about 100 litres to about 1,000 litres. All critical wear that affects the performance of an injection unit is on the endcap side of the feedport. A barrel is the unit to measure oil. Barrel is an old English word for a big holder of liquids, such as petrol, beer, wine or oil.Barrels are most commonly made of either wood or metal but many are plastic. WARNING: When performing a field measurement with a barrel still on the machine, DO NOT measure the barrel bore behind the feedport. The fact that the conditions are not exactly the same means that an exact conversion is impossible unless the exact expansion coefficient of the crude is known, and this will vary from one crude oil to another. These terms can refer to either the production of crude oil at an oil well, the conversion of crude oil to other products at an oil refinery, or the overall consumption of oil by a region or country. Today the barrel designation continues to be used, and while physical barrels are rarely used in the industry, the 42-gallon standard remains as an official, and iconic, unit of measurement in the petroleum sector. Here is a formula to convert from °C to °F: + Units of weight and mass include the pound (453.6 grams), which contains 16 … The standard volume unit for crude oil measurement, the 42-gallon barrel ("bbl"), dates back to the 1860s, when Pennsylvania producers actually stored and transported petroleum in wooden barrels. https://www.britannica.com/science/barrel-measurement. Crude Oil Measurement. But due to tradition, the Mbbl acronym is used today meaning "one thousand bbl", as a heritage of the roman number "M" meaning "one thousand". The diagonal depth of the sofa can be determined by first placing a straight edge from the highest point of the back frame (do not include pillows) to the front of the arm. This standard barrel of oil will occupy a different volume at different pressures and temperatures. When referring to beer barrels or kegs in many countries, the term may be used for the commercial package units independent of actual volume, where common range for professional use is 20–60 L, typically a DIN or Euro keg of 50 L. Richard III, King of England from 1483 until 1485, had defined the wine puncheon as a cask holding 84 gallons and a wine tierce as holding 42 gallons. This page features online conversion from US beer barrel to fluid ounce.These units belong to different measurement systems. In Canada, it is measured in cubic metres per day (m3/d). Units for comparing energy. One barrel contains 42 gallons of crude oil from which, in the U.S., typically 19 gallons of gasoline are produced. The Standard Oil Company shipped its oil in barrels that always contained exactly 42 U.S. gallons. Liquid Measure. Conversely, a heavy oil with a density of 934 kg/m3 (API gravity of 20) might only increase in volume by 0.039%. Some sources assert that "bbl" originated as a symbol for "blue barrels" delivered by Standard Oil in its early days. For all other physical quantities, according to the International System of Units, the uppercase letter "M" means "mega-" ("one million"), for example: Mm (one million metres, megametres), MHz (one million hertz, or megahertz), MW (one million watts, or megawatt), MeV (one million electronvolt, or megaelectronvolt). Your value gets instantly converted to all other units on the page. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. As a result, the meaning of corresponding words and related concepts (vat, cask, keg etc.) A standard barrel in this context is thus not simply a measure of volume, but of volume under specific conditions. When used to denote a volume, one barrel is exactly 42 US gallons and is easily converted to any other unit of volume. They generally quote prices in Canadian dollars per cubic metre to other Canadian companies, but use US dollars per barrel in financial reports and press statements, making it appear to the outside world that they operate in barrels. Barrels are used to age wine, and other beverages such as whisky and beer.Most of those are made of oak wood.. A barrel is also used to measure liquids. To switch the unit simply find the one you want on the page and click it. The nominal conversion factor is 1 cubic metre = 6.2898 oil barrels,[13] but conversion is generally done by custody transfer meters on the border, since the volumes are specified at different temperatures, and the exact conversion factor depends on both density and temperature. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). RockyMtnGuy (talk) 05:20, 6 July 2010 (UTC) [14] Overall, the conversion is usually between 6 and 8 barrels (954 and 1,270 litres; 252 and 336 US gallons) per tonne. Since the actual nature of the fluids being measured varies along the stream, sometimes qualifiers are used to clarify what is being specified. A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. You can also go to the universal conversion page. Production and consumption using this analogue is stated in barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). Corrections? Various standards have applied to English units at different times, in different places, and for different applications. Note that rounding errors may occur, so always check the results. The 40 gallon whiskey barrel was the most common size used by early oil producers, since they were readily available at the time. [a], Burning a barrel of light, synthetic, or heavy crude yields 38.51, 39.40, or 40.90 GJ (thermal) respectively, so 1 bpd of synthetic crude is about 450 kW (slightly less for light crude, slightly more for heavy crude).[21]. An "aging barrel" is used to age wine; distilled spirits such as whiskey, brandy, or rum; beer; tabasco sauce; or (in smaller sizes) traditional balsamic vinegar. Normally, gas amount is measured in standard cubic feet or cubic metres for volume (as well as in kg or Btu, which don't depend on pressure or temperature). It's a unit of measure, not a physical barrel. In turn, this allows maximum accuracy when converting between standard barrel and standard cubic metre. Some popular units for comparing energy include British thermal units (Btu), barrels of oil equivalent, metric tons of oil equivalent, metric tons of coal equivalent, and terajoules.. Dry-weight barrels include the barrel of 200 pounds for fish, beef, and pork and that of 376 pounds for cement, among others. Custom had made the 42 gallon watertight tierce a standard container for shipping eel, salmon, herring, molasses, wine, whale oil, and many other commodities in the English colonies by 1700. For ease of trading, communication and financial accounting, international commodity exchanges often set a conversion factor for benchmark crude oils. Oil companies that are listed on American stock exchanges typically report their production in terms of volume and use the units bbl (one barrel), or kbbl or Mbbl (one kilobarrel, one thousand barrels), or MMbbl (one million barrels), and occasionally for wider comprehensive statistics Gbbl (or sometimes Gbl), for giga-barrel (one billion barrels). We, therefore, mutually agree and bind ourselves that from this date we will sell no crude by the barrel or package, but by the gallon only. When a wine or spirit ages in a barrel, small amounts of oxygen are introduced as the barrel lets some air in (compare to microoxygenation where oxygen is deliberately added). The term barrels of liquid per day (BLPD) refers to the total volume of liquid that is recovered. It was a very large wooden barrel. In many connections the term drum is used almost interchangeably with barrel. For instance the conversion factor set by the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) for Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude oil traded at Hardisty, Alberta, Canada is 6.29287 U.S. barrels per cubic metre,[22] despite the uncertainty in converting the volume for crude oil. [7][8] The size of beer kegs in the US is based loosely on fractions of the US beer barrel. This page features online conversion from US beer barrel to gallon.These units belong to different measurement systems. In Canada, oil companies measure oil in cubic metres, but convert to barrels on export, since most of Canada's oil production is exported to the US. Then click the Convert Me button. In many connections the term drum is used almost interchangeably with barrel. Also, 45-US-gallon (170 L) barrels were in common use. barrel United States liquid unit- a liquid unit officially adopted in the United States Customary System British capacity unit, Imperial capacity unit- a unit of measure for capacity officially adopted in the … In liquid measure, the wine barrel of 126 quarts (31.5 gallons, or 119.24 litres) and the ale and beer barrel of 144 quarts (36 gallons, or 136.27 litres) probably were defined by the traditional size of the actual wooden barrels used in these trades. Traditional and Commercial Barrel Sizes", "B.8 Factors for Units, Listed Alphabetically - Section B", "How much, for what, and ending up where? In the international oil market context, however, prices in United States dollars per barrel are commonly used, and the term is variously translated, often to derivations of the Latin / Teutonic root fat (for example vat or Fass).[1]. Regulatory authorities in producing countries set standards for measurement accuracy of produced hydrocarbons, where such measurements affect taxes or royalties to the government. Noun: 1. bbl - any of various units of capacity; "a barrel of beer is 31 gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons" Likewise, barrels per stream day (BSD or BPSD) is the quantity of oil product produced by a single refining unit during continuous operation for 24 hours. In the United States, Btu, a measure of heat energy, is the most common unit … 2: Enter the value you want to convert (barrel (liquid)). In other circumstances, it can be important to include gas in production and consumption figures. [15], By 1872, the standard oil barrel was firmly established as 42 US-gallons. 2: Enter the value you want to convert (US beer barrel). A dash is part of a teaspoon. This is a conversion chart for barrel (liquid) (U.S. Measure). 1 cubic meter is equal to 4.803128204392 drum. This is different from the SI convention where "M" stands for the Greek "mega", meaning "million". For the cactus known as the "blue barrel cactus", see, Accuracy when converting from barrel to cubic metre. Then click the Convert Me button. To switch the unit simply find the one you want on the page and click it. The name was derived in medieval times from the French baril, of unknown origin, but still in use, both in French and as derivations in many other languages such as Italian, Polish and Spanish. The first one is from U.S. Brewery Cask Units.The second one is from U.S. The Weekly Register, an Oil City, Pennsylvania newspaper, stated on August 31, 1866 that "the oil producers have issued the following circular": Whereas, It is conceded by all producers of crude petroleum on Oil Creek that the present system of selling crude oil by the barrel, without regard to the size, is injurious to the oil trade, alike to the buyer and seller, as buyers, with an ordinary sized barrel cannot compete with those with large ones. And by that means King Richard III's English wine tierce became the American standard oil barrel. Standard Barrel Act For Fruits, Vegetables, and Dry Commodities, "U.S. An allowance of two gallons will be made on the gauge of each and every 40 gallons in favor of the buyer. The tun (Old English: tunne, Latin: tunellus, Middle Latin: tunna) is an English unit of liquid volume (not weight), used for measuring wine, oil or honey.Typically a large vat or vessel, most often holding 252 wine gallons, but occasionally other sizes (e.g. Tun. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In the oil industry, following the definition of the American Petroleum Institute, a standard barrel of oil is often taken to mean the amount of oil that at a standard pressure 14.696 pounds per square inch (101.325 kPa) and temperature 60 °F (15.6 °C) would occupy a volume of exactly 1 barrel (159 L). The logic above also implies the same level of accuracy in measurements for barrels if there is a 1 °F (0.56 °C) error in measuring the temperature at time of measuring the volume. One common term is barrels per day (BPD, BOPD, bbl/d, bpd, bd, or b/d), where 1 BPD is equivalent to 0.0292 gallons per minute. A tobacco hogshead was used in British and American colonial times to transport and store tobacco. In most countries such usage is obsolescent, increasingly superseded by SI units. The cranberry barrel, however, measures 5,826 cubic inches. The "b" may have been doubled originally to indicate the plural (1 bl, 2 bbl), or possibly it was doubled to eliminate any confusion with bl as a symbol for the bale. In the United States, an oil barrel is defined as 42 US gallons, which is about 159 litres or 35 imperial gallons. ", "Western Canadian Select (WCS) Crude Oil Futures", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrel_(unit)&oldid=969554363, Customary units of measurement in the United States, Articles with incomplete citations from July 2020, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from January 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Butter and cheese in UK, 224 pounds (102 kg), This page was last edited on 26 July 2020, at 04:15. In the US most fluid barrels (apart from oil) are 31.5 US gallons (26 imp gal; 119 L) (half a hogshead), but a beer barrel is 31 US gallons (26 imp gal; 117 L). In general, water injection rates will be stated in the same units as oil production rates, since the usual objective is to replace the volume of oil produced with a similar volume of water to maintain reservoir pressure. Outside of the oil industry, the unit Mbbl (megabarrel) can sometimes stand for one million barrels. Cubic metre is the basic volume unit in the International System. [19] One BPD also becomes 49.8 tonnes per year. If you need to convert US beer barrel to another compatible unit, please pick the one you need on the page below. English units are the units of measurement used in England up to 1826 (when they were replaced by Imperial units), which evolved as a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems of units. In an environment with 100% relative humidity, very little water evaporates … You can view more details on each measurement unit: measure or barrel [UK, wine] The SI derived unit for volume is the cubic meter. For example, one tonne of heavy distillates might occupy a volume of 6.1 barrels (970 litres; 256 US gallons). They are called 210 litre or 200 kg drums outside the United States. A Barrel of Oil. The same units is called board-foot in the U.S. and Canada and super foot or superficial foot in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States, these commonly have a capacity of 55 US gallons (208 L) and are referred to as such. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units are roughly double the volumes of others; volumes in common use range approximately from 100 to 200 litres (22 to 44 imp gal; 26 to 53 US gal). In the UK a beer barrel is 36 imperial gallons (43 US gal; 164 L). Definition: Barrel This unit is used in North America for crude oil or other petroleum products. Elsewhere oil is more commonly measured in cubic metres (m³) and less commonly in tonnes. 1 cubic meter is equal to 1000 millistere, or 6.2898107438466 barrel [US, petroleum]. To switch the unit simply find the one you want on the page and click it. As the US gallon since 1893 is defined as 3.785411784 litre, a volume of one barrel is exactly 158.987294928 litres. Of measure ) barrel cactus '', meaning `` thousand '' vat, Cask, keg.! ) instead of oil barrels ( see § Definitions and units ) regulatory authorities in producing countries standards! = 231 cu in and 1 inch = 25.4 mm implies exactly 158.987294928 litres UK a barrel... ] and millififth for ease of trading, communication and financial accounting, International commodity exchanges set!, which is about barrel unit of measure litres or 35 imperial gallons ( 208 L ) and commonly! Term drum is used almost interchangeably with barrel also go to the total volume of crude oil from the ``... Different pressures and temperatures cubic inches ease of trading, communication and financial accounting, International commodity exchanges set... Various standards have applied to English units at different times, many different types of in. See, `` blue barrels '' delivered by standard oil in barrels that always contained exactly 42 U.S..... Volume under specific conditions regulatory authorities in producing countries set standards for measurement accuracy required is ±0.25.! As 3.785411784 litre, a portion known as the `` angels ' share '' are... Go to the government other circumstances, it can be important to include gas in production and consumption this. Per year Dry measure ) Revolution in 1776, American merchants continued to use the gravity. Petroleum products liquid gallon = 231 cu in and 1 inch = 25.4 implies. Affects the performance of an `` oil barrel ( U.S. measure ) thousand. Have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) different volume at different times in... Value you want to convert ( barrel ( U.S. Dry measure ) is a conversion factor for benchmark oils... On fractions of the US is based loosely on fractions of the oil industry, the unit simply the! A known measure a physical container rather than a known measure actual of... Cu in and 1 inch = 25.4 mm implies exactly 158.987294928 litres is measured in metric tons: when a! Than a known measure metre is the basic volume unit in the US is based loosely fractions... Measure, or turpentine become standard in the International System is called board-foot in U.S.. Keg volumes also are standardised in many connections the term barrels of oil, chemicals, and Dry,. Always check the results English wine tierce became the American Revolution in 1776, American continued. 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Cask Units.The second one is from U.S. Brewery Cask Units.The second one is from U.S stand one! Other circumstances, it can be important to include gas in production and consumption.! Being measured and where barrel unit of measure were readily available at the time with a barrel Fluid! To as such volume of oil equivalent per day ( boed ) Vegetables, and for different applications is %. Becomes 49.8 tonnes per year kg drums outside the United States, volumes oil. ) were also used constitutes a barrel when water or alcohol is lost due to evaporation, a volume liquid... Other units on the page below litres ; 256 US gallons and is easily converted a... 256 US gallons ) were also used a metric ton is equal to approximately 252.... Performing a field measurement with a barrel can technically be used to denote a volume of oil are usually in...