Convert Picoliter (pL) to Barrel (Oil) (bbl (oil)) instantly.
About these units
Picoliter (pL)
A picoliter is 10⁻¹² liters, bridging the gap between femtoliters and nanoliters. Many biological cells—such as yeast—have volumes in the picoliter range. This makes the unit particularly important in cell biology, single-cell genomics, and droplet microfluidics. Inkjet printers famously eject droplets on the order of a few picoliters, illustrating a precise and widespread technological use. This droplet size affects print resolution, color quality, and material deposition accuracy. The picoliter is also used in chemical analysis, micro-sampling, and lab-on-chip devices, where controlling tiny fluid quantities is essential for efficiency and precision.
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.