Understanding US Oil Barrels to US Bushels Conversion
A US oil barrel (bbl) is the petroleum industry's standard vessel of exactly 42 US gallons, or about 158.987 litres, while a US bushel (bu) is a dry-measure unit of roughly 35.239 litres used for agricultural commodities such as grain, corn, and soybeans. Converting between them appears when comparing liquid fuel volumes against bulk dry harvest volumes, for instance in biofuel feedstock accounting where crop bushels and product barrels are traded side by side.
Conversion Formula
To convert US Oil Barrels to US Bushels, multiply by this factor:
Step-by-Step Example
Convert 25 US Oil Barrels to US Bushels.
How to Convert US Oil Barrels to US Bushels
Turn a petroleum-barrel volume into dry bushels with one multiplication.
- Start with your barrels: Note the volume in US oil barrels (bbl), each equal to 42 US gallons.
- Apply the factor: Multiply the barrel count by 4.511677 to get US bushels.
- Compute the result: For 25 bbl, calculate .
- Read the answer: The result is 112.792 US bushels.
US Oil Barrels to US Bushels conversion table
| US Oil Barrels (bbl) | US Bushels (bu) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 4.511677 |
| 2 | 9.023354 |
| 3 | 13.53503 |
| 4 | 18.04671 |
| 5 | 22.55838 |
| 6 | 27.07006 |
| 7 | 31.58174 |
| 8 | 36.09341 |
| 9 | 40.60509 |
| 10 | 45.11677 |
| 15 | 67.67515 |
| 20 | 90.23354 |
| 25 | 112.7919 |
| 30 | 135.3503 |
| 40 | 180.4671 |
| 50 | 225.5838 |
| 60 | 270.7006 |
| 70 | 315.8174 |
| 80 | 360.9341 |
| 90 | 406.0509 |
| 100 | 451.1677 |
| 150 | 676.7515 |
| 200 | 902.3354 |
| 250 | 1127.919 |
| 300 | 1353.503 |
| 400 | 1804.671 |
| 500 | 2255.838 |
| 600 | 2707.006 |
| 700 | 3158.174 |
| 800 | 3609.341 |
| 900 | 4060.509 |
| 1000 | 4511.677 |
| 2000 | 9023.354 |
| 3000 | 13535.03 |
| 4000 | 18046.71 |
| 5000 | 22558.38 |
| 10000 | 45116.77 |
| 25000 | 112791.9 |
| 50000 | 225583.8 |
| 100000 | 451167.7 |
| 250000 | 1127919 |
| 500000 | 2255838 |
| 1000000 | 4511677 |
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many US bushels are in one US oil barrel?
One US oil barrel equals 4.511677 US bushels, because a 42-gallon petroleum barrel holds about 158.987 litres against the bushel's 35.239 litres.
How do I convert US oil barrels to US bushels?
Multiply the barrel figure by 4.511677. For example, 10 bbl becomes 45.1168 bu.
Why compare a liquid barrel with a dry bushel?
Both are volume units, so the conversion is dimensionally valid even though oil is measured as a liquid and grain as a dry solid; it is useful in energy-crop and feedstock accounting.
How do I convert US bushels back to US oil barrels?
Multiply bushels by 0.2216471, the reciprocal factor, so 100 bu equals about 22.16 bbl.
Is the US oil barrel the same as a standard drum?
No. The petroleum barrel is fixed at 42 US gallons, whereas a common steel storage drum is 55 US gallons, so they should not be used interchangeably.