Understanding US Bushels to US Oil Barrels Conversion
The US bushel is a dry-volume unit of about 35.239 litres used for grain and produce. The US oil barrel is the petroleum-industry standard of exactly 42 US gallons, roughly 158.987 litres. Converting bushels to oil barrels lets you compare an agricultural bulk volume against the benchmark container used to price and ship crude oil.
Conversion Formula
To convert US Bushels to US Oil Barrels, multiply by this factor:
Step-by-Step Example
Convert 25 US Bushels to US Oil Barrels.
How to Convert US Bushels to US Oil Barrels
Convert an agricultural bushel volume into petroleum oil barrels in one step.
- Start with bushels: Take your quantity in US bushels, such as 25 bu.
- Multiply by the factor: Use 0.2216471 oil barrel per bushel.
- Compute: .
- State the result: 25 US bushels equal about 5.54118 US oil barrels.
US Bushels to US Oil Barrels conversion table
| US Bushels (bu) | US Oil Barrels (bbl) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0.2216471 |
| 2 | 0.4432942 |
| 3 | 0.6649412 |
| 4 | 0.8865883 |
| 5 | 1.108235 |
| 6 | 1.329882 |
| 7 | 1.55153 |
| 8 | 1.773177 |
| 9 | 1.994824 |
| 10 | 2.216471 |
| 15 | 3.324706 |
| 20 | 4.432942 |
| 25 | 5.541177 |
| 30 | 6.649412 |
| 40 | 8.865883 |
| 50 | 11.08235 |
| 60 | 13.29882 |
| 70 | 15.5153 |
| 80 | 17.73177 |
| 90 | 19.94824 |
| 100 | 22.16471 |
| 150 | 33.24706 |
| 200 | 44.32942 |
| 250 | 55.41177 |
| 300 | 66.49412 |
| 400 | 88.65883 |
| 500 | 110.8235 |
| 600 | 132.9882 |
| 700 | 155.153 |
| 800 | 177.3177 |
| 900 | 199.4824 |
| 1000 | 221.6471 |
| 2000 | 443.2942 |
| 3000 | 664.9412 |
| 4000 | 886.5883 |
| 5000 | 1108.235 |
| 10000 | 2216.471 |
| 25000 | 5541.177 |
| 50000 | 11082.35 |
| 100000 | 22164.71 |
| 250000 | 55411.77 |
| 500000 | 110823.5 |
| 1000000 | 221647.1 |
What is the US Bushel?
The US bushel is a large United States customary unit of dry volume used chiefly in agriculture to measure grain, fruit, and other bulk crops. It is the foundation of the US dry-measure system.
Definition
The US bushel (the Winchester bushel) is defined as exactly 2150.42 cubic inches.
This equals 2150.42 × 16.387064 cm³ = 35239.07 cm³. One bushel contains 4 pecks, 32 dry quarts, or 64 dry pints. It should not be confused with the imperial bushel (36.36872 L), which is about 3% larger.
Origin and History
The Winchester bushel dates to a 1696 English statute (with roots in medieval standards kept at Winchester) and was defined as a cylinder 18.5 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep, giving 2150.42 in³. The United States adopted this measure, while Great Britain replaced it with the imperial bushel in 1824.
Law and Notable Facts
Although volumetric by definition, US grain trading uses the bushel as a weight-based unit: legal "bushel weights" fix a bushel of wheat or soybeans at 60 pounds, corn and rye at 56 pounds, and oats at 32 pounds. Commodity exchanges quote grain prices per bushel on this weight basis.
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- A bushel of shelled corn weighs 56 lb (about 25.4 kg) and occupies roughly 35.24 liters of loose volume.
- 1 US bushel = 4 pecks = 8 US dry gallons = 35.2391 L.
- 1 US bushel ≈ 0.9689 imperial bushel; 1 cubic meter ≈ 28.38 US bushels.
What is the US Oil Barrel?
The US oil barrel (bbl) is a unit of volume equal to 42 US gallons, used almost exclusively for crude oil and petroleum products. It is the standard trading unit of the global oil industry.
Definition
The US oil barrel is defined as exactly 42 US liquid gallons:
Precisely, 1 bbl = 158.987294928 liters. This differs from other "barrel" definitions: the US fluid barrel is 31.5 gallons, the US federal beer barrel is 31 gallons, and the UK barrel is about 163.66 liters.
Origin and History
The 42-gallon standard traces to the early Pennsylvania oil boom of the 1860s. Producers adopted the 42-gallon "tierce" wooden barrel, which was slightly larger than the common 40-gallon whiskey barrel, allowing for spillage and evaporation losses during transport. In 1872 the Petroleum Producers Association formalized 42 gallons as the standard, and it endures today even though oil is now moved by pipeline and tanker rather than in physical barrels.
Law and Notable Facts
The oil barrel is not an SI unit but is deeply embedded in commodity markets, where crude prices are quoted per barrel and production in barrels per day (bbl/d). The abbreviation "bbl" is thought to stand for "blue barrels" once used by Standard Oil. Physical 42-gallon barrels are rarely used in the modern industry.
Real-World Examples and Conversions
- 1 bbl = 42 US gallons ≈ 34.97 imperial gallons ≈ 158.99 liters.
- Global crude oil consumption is roughly 100 million barrels per day.
- A single barrel of crude yields about 19 to 20 US gallons of gasoline after refining.
- 1 metric ton of crude oil is roughly 7.33 barrels, depending on density.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many oil barrels are in a US bushel?
One US bushel is about 0.221647 US oil barrel, since a bushel is roughly 35.239 litres and an oil barrel is about 158.987 litres.
What is a US oil barrel?
It is the petroleum standard of exactly 42 US gallons (about 158.987 litres), used to measure and price crude oil.
How many bushels fill one oil barrel?
One US oil barrel holds about 4.51168 bushels, the reciprocal of the conversion factor.
How do I convert bushels to oil barrels?
Multiply bushels by 0.2216471. Ten bushels, for example, equal about 2.21647 oil barrels.
Why compare bushels to oil barrels?
It offers a useful cross-industry scale check, relating agricultural bulk volume to the familiar 42-gallon petroleum barrel.