Convert Liter (L, l) to Barrel (Oil) (bbl (oil)) instantly.
About these units
Liter (L, l)
The liter is one of the most widely used units of volume worldwide, defined as the volume of a cube measuring 10 centimeters on each side, making 1 L = 1,000 cubic centimeters = 1 cubic decimeter. Despite not being an SI base unit, it is fully accepted for use with the SI system due to its universal practicality. The liter occupies a sweet spot: large enough to measure beverages, fuel, and household liquids, yet small enough for precise laboratory use. Its intuitive scale simplifies everyday tasks—recipes, medical dosages, aquarium capacities, and fuel economy are all naturally expressed in liters. In science, the liter's alignment with the metric system makes it indispensable for expressing fluid volumes, solution concentrations (L in mol/L), and gas quantities under standard conditions. Industrial systems use liters for chemical processing, water treatment, and food production, making it a cornerstone of modern volume measurement.
Barrel (Oil) (bbl (oil))
An oil barrel is defined as 42 US gallons, or 158.987 liters, and is a fundamental unit in the petroleum industry. This peculiar size traces back to the early Pennsylvania oil fields, where producers standardized whiskey barrels and modified wooden casks for oil transport. The need for consistent trade volumes cemented the 42-gallon barrel as the industry norm. Today, global oil production, pricing, and consumption are expressed in barrels—from daily OPEC reports to energy market forecasts. Even though oil is no longer physically shipped in barrels, the unit remains deeply embedded in international energy economics.