Home > Barrel (unit)

• A barrel of crude oil or other petroleum product (abbreviated bbl) is 42 US gallons, approximately 159 litres or 35 Imperial gallons. The size originates from the use of 190 litre wine barrels in the early Pennsylvania oil fields, but only counting 160 litres, the size of a tierce , to account for spillage during shipment. Later barrels were only filled to 160 litres.
• In the UK, a standard beer barrel is 36 UK gallons, about 164 litres.
• In the US, a standard beer barrel is 31.5 US gallons, about 119 litres.