What is an American barrel of oil? View from the outside
Unlike Russia, where the amount of oil and oil products are measured in tons, volume units are used on the international market - oil barrels.
American oil barrel - unit of volume oil and petroleum products equal to 158.988 liters (or 42 gallons).
It is worth distinguishing between an oil barrel and a standard barrel, which is used to measure all other liquids (it is 119.24 liters or 31.5 gallons).
Transfer to other units
For conversion from barrels to tons and from tons to barrels, it is necessary to rely on a specific value oil density . Due to the significant difference in the densities of domestic and foreign brands of oil, the conversion factors are also different:
- For oil Brent (average density 826.5 kg / m 3):
1 barrel \u003d 0.1314 tons
1 ton \u003d 7.61 barrels
- For oil Urals (average density 865.5 kg / m 3)
1 barrel \u003d 0.1376 tons
1 tons \u003d 7.28 barrel
Historical reference
Since the start of oil production, a need arose for its transportation. At first, while traffic volumes were small, there were no difficulties with containers: leather wineskins, barrels of various sizes and other improvised tools were used. However, gradually, oil production began to increase, and the problem of transportation and storage arose quite sharply. Then the most common containers were wooden barrels of various calibers.
Since oil was also sold to barrels, the lack of standard containers significantly complicated the process of office work and generated disputes between sellers and buyers.
In 1866, in the city of Titusville in Pennsylvania (it was here that Colonel Edwin L. Drake drilled his first well in 1859), a meeting of oil industrialists was held, one of the question of which was the establishment of a single measure for the supply of oil. There was no need to think for a long time, and the 42-gallon barrel, which was successfully used for transporting and storing fish, wine, whale oil, oil, etc., was adopted as the standard. Thus, the famous oil barrel appeared ("barrel" .), firmly established as a volumetric unit of measure in the global oil industry.
The barrel of oil received official approval as a standard in 1872 from the American Association of Petroleum Producers, and in 1882 from the American Geological Survey.
Abbreviation
For the oil barrel, the official abbreviation "bbl" is accepted, which is rather strange, since in the English word barrel there is only one "b" and it would be more logical to use the abbreviation "bl". This fact raises many assumptions regarding the origin of the abbreviation.
There is a legend according to which bbl - the abbreviation of the phrase "blue barrel" (blue barrel) - was painted in that color with its Standard Oil barrels. At one time, the company was a leader in the industry, and consumers were used to associating a blue barrel with oil.
However, the legend cited is nothing more than a coincidence: the abbreviation bbl began to be found in documents dating back to the eighteenth century - long before the formation of the oil industry and even more so before the creation of Standard Oil.
According to another theory, bbl began to be used to denote the plural of bl. This version also seems unlikely, since it would be more logical to use the abbreviation bls.
The most plausible assumption is the introduction of bbl to distinguish barrels from bales. In English, the bale is bale, and accordingly has the abbreviation bl.
There is no official version explaining this strange designation of a barrel of oil. You need to take it for granted:
1 bbl = 1 oil barrel
Buying your own car is not a luxury. But to serve it and to refuel in our time is really expensive. Agree that every time you drive up to the refueling column, and the cost of fuel exceeds yesterday's figure, your surprise is excessive. So, such a shock can easily be avoided. After all, a true motorist just needs to figure out how much gasoline is obtained from 1 liter of crude oil.
Types of Russian oil
Before we figure out how much gasoline is obtained from 1 liter of crude oil, let's consider what happens to the oil itself.
In Russia, the following is mined:
- Urals. This type is a mixture of all the oil that is developed by us. This substance is exported via the Transneft pipeline. The basis of oil is West Siberian and sour. The density of Urals ranges from 860 to 871 kilograms per cubic meter. The sulfur content here is from 1.2 to 1.3 percent. One ton of this substance contains 7.28 barrels of oil;
- Rebco. This brand is exported to the New York Stock Exchange;
- Siberian Light. This type is light Russian oil. It is mined in Khanty-Mansiysk. As an independent variety, only a small fraction of the substance is sold. Its density is from 845 to 850 kilograms per cubic meter. Sulfur contains 0.57%;
- Sokol. This type of oil is transferred via the De-Kastri wire and is produced at the Sakhalin-1 well. Sulfur is 0.23%, and the density of the substance is 37.7 degrees;
- Vityaz. This type of oil is Sakhalin. It is produced at the Sakhalin-2 well. Here in 2010, a production record was set. One operator raised 6.1 million tons of oil, equivalent to 47 million barrels. It was bought by South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan;
- ESPO. This brand is East Siberian. It is shipped to the Pacific. Its value is tied to Emirate oil. Suppose, two years ago, it was worth 4.4 dollars per barrel. Now its price has fallen somewhat. This variety competes with oil produced in Alaska. The density of this substance is 34.8 degrees, and sulfur here 0.62%. There are 7.32 barrels per ton of oil.
Not mined, but delivered to Russia:
- Brent. This type of oil is produced in the North Sea. Its cost is the pricing factor for 40% of all world varieties of this substance. The field was discovered in 1970. It is a low sulfur substance. Its density is 825 - 828 kilograms per cubic meter. Sulfur contains 0.37% here. 7.59 barrels are made from one ton of oil;
- West Texas Intermediate. This view is a reference. Mostly gasoline is made from it, which is why there is such a huge demand for it. They get it in Texas in America. The density of oil is 39.6 degrees, and sulfur in it is 0.24%.
1 barrel of oil - how many liters of gasoline
It’s very difficult to understand the purchase and production of oil. After all, the system for its processing is very confusing. Here it is necessary to take into account quotes, transportation and production of black gold, which is different for each country. In fact, global exporters agreed that the consumer should not have a clue about the cost of oil.
In fact, the cost of production in Russia is approximately $ 8 per barrel. By the way, by world standards it is quite expensive. The value for the rest of the countries is given below. They have exchange value.
The thermal conductivity of oil is approximately 10,000 kcal per kilogram.
The volume of the barrel equals 158.9873 liters, that is, 160 liters. At the same time, the energy saturation of gasoline is also 10,000 kcal per kilogram.
If you calculate it correctly, then gasoline, which is obtained from 1 liter of oil, is approximately 15 to 80%, based on the type of black gold. What remains is also for sale. Therefore, even a liter of oil does not produce a liter of gasoline, but enterprises do not work at a loss.
The cost of transportation and, in fact, processing, is approximately $ 0.25. That is, the cost of automotive fuel is $ 0.25. But, and this estimate is very high.
The resulting gasoline from 1 liter of oil depends only on the quality and characteristics of the black gold itself. Also, the degree of processing of the substance is important. In Russia this year received 14.3% of fuel. At the same time, 25% were mined in Europe, and 46% in America.
And now, as promised, a table that shows the cost of oil production for countries other than Russia.
Now you know, with 1 barrel of oil - how many liters of gasoline are produced. Therefore, we decided to consider where oil is produced in Russia. Of course, here we describe only the largest enterprises with a production volume of more than three million tons.
For many years, the leader has been the Khanty-Mansiysk District and the Republic of Tatarstan. About 65% of all oil is produced here. Moreover, only half of all black gold is mined in Khanty-Mansiysk. Of course, there was a time when their dynamics was negative. It is about 2011 - 2012 years.
But, the growth over the past few years is quite positive. It was then that in Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Yakutia began to develop new deposits. Also, in 2011, production in Eastern Siberia increased by 36.4%. And at the same time, they opened a new export direction, Siberia - the Pacific Ocean.
The Irkutsk district is the leader in terms of growth in black gold production this year. It produces about 6.3 million tons. Further, oil is well developed in Yakutia. The figure is 5.6 million tons. Well, it is worth mentioning the Tyumen region. It produces a million tons of oil per year.
The worst result is shown by the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Oil production in this region decreased by 23%. That is, 4.1 million tons.
If you are a little interested in the news of the global economy, you might notice that over the past year the cost of a barrel of oil has dropped from $ 120 to $ 50. But at the same time, gasoline at gas stations has almost doubled in price. If you follow the logic, then its value should drop. But no.
Summing up last year, it turned out that the price of oil fell by 35%. But the cost of gasoline rose by 10%. It turns out that only the retail price has increased. For wholesalers, it fell a bit. It turns out that the finished product is completely independent of oil. Its cost is influenced by completely different factors.
The gasoline price includes 30% of the cost of oil.
The second component is the excise tax on fuel. It is established by the state, and it goes to the state treasury. At the moment, excise duty is 28% of the initial cost. In 2013, it was recorded in the region of 10.1% of a thousand rubles per ton. At the end of 2014, it amounted to 11.1 thousand rubles per ton. Now the excise tax is as much as 13.3 thousand per ton.
Next, add to these numbers the cost of transporting raw materials. Of the remaining 42%, more than 35% is transportation. Delivery and implementation of the final product costs a lot. Oil is transported mainly by rail. At the end of last year, transportation rose to 13.4%. And now it is 14.4%. Pipeline oil transportation also rose in value by 7.5%.
Well, the devaluation of the ruble played a significant role. Although in the equivalent of our currency the value has changed by 15%, but in the world market it has fallen by more than half.
Thus, we can conclude that in Russia, oil almost did not rise in price. On the contrary, it has fallen in price. But the increase in excise tax and the increase in the cost of transport services removed the effect of the fall in oil. Therefore, according to the nearest forecasts, gasoline will go up while the ruble will fall.
Barrel of oil
Barrel of oil - a standard unit of oil volume in international trade. In the United States, one oil barrel is 42 gallons, or 158.988 liters.
The word "barrel" in translation from English means "barrel" - an old measure. And the English barrel is not equal to the American.
It should also be borne in mind that oil of different grades has a different density. Russian Urals is heavier than Norwegian Brent. As a result, different values \u200b\u200bhave to be used to calculate the weight of one barrel of different oil. The correct figures for the conversion of Russian oil are: 1 ton - approximately 7.28 barrels. For Brent - 7.59.
Urals brand oil is inferior in quality to Brent, therefore it is sold slightly cheaper.
There is an over-the-counter and a stock market for crude oil. The OTC market is a direct supply from a supplier to a consumer. Moreover, prices are usually tied to stock quotes.
The largest centers of oil exchange trading: the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in North America, the London Petroleum Exchange (London Petroleum Exchange, LPE) in Europe and the Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX) in Asia .
Oil contracts are traded on each of these exchanges. Let’s take the LPE as an example, because the prices are usually quoted by the media and economists in our country - it is closer, and Russia currently supplies more oil to Europe.
The oil contract is strictly standardized. Scope of supply - 1,000 barrels, that is, 42 thousand gallons. The term for executing the contracts is 12 consecutive months, then quarterly - up to 24 months, then half-year - up to a maximum of 36 months. Traditionally, the most traded contracts are in the coming months.
At the same time, there is a time when trading occurs in electronic form: daily from 8:00 to 9:45 in London. But, in addition, there is trade “on the circle”, by the method of cries: from 10:02 to 20:13.
Please note that during this period not all contracts are traded at the same time. They replace each other. For example, like this: 20 minutes - oil with delivery in January. 10 minutes break. Another 20 minutes is the February oil. Etc.
The current price is determined in dollars and cents per barrel. Since the volume of the contract is 1,000 barrels, a change in the price of only 1 cent brings the investor a profit or loss of $ 10 (0.01 dollars multiplied by 1,000 is 10).
At the same time, most futures contracts are closed by opening the opposite position through the clearing procedure, that is, without real delivery. However, if he doesn’t close the position on the contract end date, he will be obliged to supply, buy or receive real oil.
In addition to oil futures contracts, option contracts are also traded on the LPE.
Similarly, trading on the NYMEX, as well as on SIMEX.
In our country, taking into account the fact that we are one of the largest suppliers in the world and ours is very much dependent on energy prices, several attempts have been made to create an exchange oil market. Unfortunately, to date, on no trading floors the number of transactions and the volume of trading have reached such a level that the contracts become truly liquid. But maybe this is a matter of time.
See what "Barrel of oil" is in other dictionaries:
Barrel - (Barrel) The concept of a barrel, types of barrel, price lines of a barrel Information about the concept of a barrel, types of barrel, price lines of a barrel Content Table of Contents 1.. 1.1. See the barrel 1.2. Beer barrel 1.3. English barrel 1.4. Barrel (American ... ... Encyclopedia of the investor
BARREL - BARREL, a unit of volume used to measure liquids, in particular oil (crude). A barrel for oil and petroleum products is 158.98 liters, or 35 gallons. A barrel of beer equals 163.66 liters, or 36 gallons. Barrel of solids (e.g. ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
Barrel (American Petroleum) - This term has other meanings, see Barrel. An American oil barrel is a unit of oil equivalent to 42 gallons, or 158.988 liters. Interestingly, the barrel for measuring other liquids in America holds only 31.5 ... ... Wikipedia
Barrel - barrel Volumetric measure of liquid, bulk and some solid materials. It is applied in America and in England. An American oil barrel contains 158.76 liters (31.5 gallons). The English barrel contains 163.65 liters (4.9 English gallons). * * * Barrel ... ... Oil and gas microencyclopedia
Barrel (unit of volume) - This term has other meanings, see Barrel. Barrel (English barrel barrel, keg) is an old English unit for measuring the volume of liquid. Abbreviation: br. Contents 1 Beer barrel 2 English barrel ... Wikipedia
oil storage conditions - Characterized by a temperature of 60 ° F and a pressure of 1 atmosphere; under these conditions, 1 barrel of oil is equal to 5.615 cubic meters. pounds or 0.159 cubic meters meter. Oil and gas topics ... ... Technical Translator Reference
Oil peak - Global Fossil Carbon Emission, an Indicator of Consumption, 1800 2004. Total shown in black. Oil is shown in blue ... Wikipedia
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) - The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC (The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC) is an international organization created with the aim of coordinating actions in terms of sales and setting prices for crude oil. By the time OPEC was founded ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
According to the statistics of search engines, an oil barrel has become one of the most popular queries since the first quarter of 2014. The price of crude oil of various brands (Urals, Brent, WTI, Dubai Crude), which has been falling for two years now, has announced to the whole world that the financial crisis, which has been discussed so much and continues to be talked about today, has begun its course in a completely new way. . We all remember that a similar collapse in oil prices on the stock exchange was recorded in 2008, but then prices quickly felt for the bottom and began to grow steadily. Today, the picture is such that even the most positive-minded analysts call the term 5–7 years the period for prices to transition to growth. In our article, we decided to figure out why the fall in global oil prices negatively affects the cost of gasoline? How much gasoline is obtained from 1 barrel of so much cheaper oil? Why in Russia the domestic market is not saturated with cheap automobile fuel? Let's talk about everything in order.
How much gasoline is obtained from 1 barrel of oil
When calculating, it is important to remember that in one oil barrel there are 158.988 liters of volume. If you average a little - in 1 ton 7.3 barrels. In the process of transferring oil and going through all the processes of “converting” it into fuel and products “consumed” by automobiles, diesel equipment and self-propelled vehicles, the volume (due to additional additives and chemicals) increases by about 9 liters. On average, 1 barrel of crude oil produces:- 102 liters of gasoline different octane number (there will be no specifics, it all depends on the distillation process),
- 30 liters of diesel various brands
- 25 liters of ultra pure aviation kerosene,
- 7 liters of fuel oil,
- 1 liter of engine oil
This calculation was taken according to statistics published by Russian refineries. If we take into account that the process of driving crude oil in different countries differs slightly, we can take these data as a basis, concluding the main thing - today the cost of 1 liter of gasoline at a price of a barrel of $ 30.34 and the rate of 79.82 rubles to 1 US dollar should ideally be 23.81 rubles per liter (the cost of a barrel in rubles is calculated and divided by the number of liters - 102). Again - this is the price taken without taking into account the costs of production, transportation, distillation processes and delivery of gasoline to points of sale. The current picture of gas prices is as follows: 1 liter of the most common AI 95 is from 33.41 to 39.79 rubles per 1 liter (data for Moscow and the Moscow region).
Now let's recall that the Russian economy is often called the raw material economy. What does it mean? The lion's share of the country's budget revenues is made up of collected duties and excises for the extracted minerals and oil and gas exported by our country in the list of first positions. This is the raw material from which the above processed products are subsequently obtained. To saturate the domestic market, a certain number of hydrocarbons is left, which are sent to oil refineries with further sale within the country. It is worth noting that any mineral has a production cost. On average, the cost of 1 barrel of oil produced costs the Russian oil company $ 50.
If you do not make calculations on the topic of how much the total cost of refining a barrel of oil costs in total, we can conclude that 102 liters of gasoline in Russia today cost (36.6 * 102 \u003d 3,733). That is, extracted at a cost of $ 50 1 barrel of Russian oil, sold today on the exchange for an average of $ 30 in refined condition in Russia costs 3,733 rubles. With a dollar exchange rate of 79.82 rubles per 1 dollar, this price is more than justified.
Explain why Russian companies (like everyone else in the world) today are operating at a loss, most likely is not necessary. Just like adding that any oil-producing equipment has its own service life and in the future it will need to be replaced with a new one, and modernization of the production and refining lines. The increase in gas prices in Russia today is a reality that we must put up with, and not because oil moguls so want, but because harsh reality insists on it. For the subsequent saturation of the market, it will be necessary to reserve funds, there should be a modernization of production and it will, production should not stop until mankind finds alternative ways of generating energy, in which oil and other minerals are not so needed.
How much gasoline is produced from 1 ton of Russian oil
As we wrote above - in 1 ton 7.3 barrels of oil. By simple calculations, we get that 744.6 liters in average is obtained after processing 1 ton of Russian oil. Then you can independently make calculations according to the already developed formula for obtaining value.Barrel (barell) - a barrel.
Varieties of barrel:
- "Barrel of oil (oil barrel)"
- "Liquid barrels (fluid barrels)"
- "Barrels of bulk products (dry barrels)"
- "Barrel" as a measure of weight (mass)
The volume of a "barrel" ranges from 100-200 liters (22-44 imperial gallons (imp gal); 26-53 US gallons (US gal)) depending on the type of "barrel".
Barrel of oil (oil barrel)
Oil barrel, (bbl - world designation, br - Russian abbreviation): 1 barrel of oil \u003d 158.988 liters. \u003d 42 American gallons (US gallons) \u003d 34.9723 imperial gallons (imp gal) \u003d 0.1589873 m3)
- American barrel of oil (statistical) (US petroleum statistical barrel) is 42 American gallons (US gallons) \u003d 158.9873 liters is used in the United States as a measure of unit volume for oil and other petroleum products. In other countries, oil is usually measured in cubic meters (cubic meters (m3)) or in tons (t), which is usually used by European oil companies. International companies listed on the American stock exchange are trying to bring their oil products to barrels for world reporting purposes, while those listed on European exchanges are converting their products into tons to confuse the situation (note by participants in the dpva.ru project). Crude oil in a standard barrel of oil weighs approximately 300 pounds (135 kg)
Fluid barrels
Fluid barrels vary depending on what is being measured and where.
- Beer barrel in the UK (beer barrel) \u003d 164 liters (36 imperial gallons), 43 US gallons (US gal);.
- Most liquid barrels (fluid barrels) in the USA are 119 liters (31.5 US gallons), 26 English gallons (imp gal) (half a hogshead), but:
- Barrel of beer in the USAis 117 liters (31 American gallons (US gallons), 26 imperial gallons (imp gal)).
- General (federal) barrel (US federal barrel \u003d 117.348 L, 25.8129 imperial gallons (imp gal), 31 American gallons (US gallons)
- General barrel for measuring alcohol volume (US federal proof spirits barrel \u003d 151.416 L, 40 American gallons (US gallons), 33.3069 imperial gallons (imp gal))
Barrel of loose products (Dry goods barrel)
- American dry barrel: 7,056 cubic inches \u003d 115.6 liters (approx. 3.28 bushel (bushel)).
- Defined as the length of the kegboard (riveting) 28 + 1/2 inch (in) \u003d 724 mm, the diameter of the bottom 17 + 1/8 inch (in) (435 mm), the distance between the bottoms 26 inches (in) (660 mm), with an external girth of 64 inches (in) - 1,626 mm; modeled with an approximate volume of 7,056 cubic inches (cubic inches) \u003d 115.627124 ml; and the thickness of the barrel is not more than 4/10 inches (in) \u003d 10 mm (
History of occurrence barrel of oil
In the middle of the XIX century, when there was an increased production of oil, a sharp shortage of tanks or containers for the storage, sale and transportation of oil was discovered.
What is a barrel. What is 1 barrel in liters?
It was convenient to set the price for one barrel of equal size for the convenience of customers. Gradually, the oil trade grew and the inconvenience of calculating the volume of goods increased.
In 1866, in the north of the United States in one of the states, a meeting of oil industrialists was held, which agreed on the standard volume of containers for measuring oil. Thus, they first introduced the concept of barrel of oilwhich remains popular today all over the world. The concept is used both in trading and in electronic trading in oil.
From ancient times in America, the barrel was the standard unit of measure. With her help, they traded seafood, alcohol, oil and molasses. In addition, the barrels were convenient in that in the amount of 20 pieces they were placed in barges or railway platform warehouses, typical at that time.
The concept of a barrel of oil was officially introduced by the international oil production association as early as 1872, which on the council approved the barrel as a world standard.
What barrel of oil and what is it measured
In 1701, 42 gallons became the unit of oil, since barrels with such a capacity proved to be the most convenient to use. One person could calmly lift it, with a larger volume it was necessary to carry the barrels together, and with a smaller volume the barrels were considered economically unprofitable and took longer to transport.
In world practice, the price is set in dollars per barrel of oil. On the territory of Russia and some former post-Soviet states, the measure of fuel is a ton.
If for a unit of measurement we take liters, then one barrel of oil is equal to 159 liters, and in tons 1 barrel \u003d 0.14 tons of oil. Many types of fuel have to be converted into tons, since they all have different structures, and, as a result, different densities. Due to the fact that the density indicators vary widely, the barrel mass range varies widely.
In many professional educational institutions in Russia, whether it is an oil college or institute, in the course of the educational program, they necessarily study oil units of measurement, as well as the mathematical foundations of the translation of the main measurement indicators.
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Why is oil measured in barrels and what is this “barrel"?
The origin of the oil barrel as a unit of measure for oil production is hidden in the haze of the distant past. But we still know some of the history.
Oil has been produced in small volumes since ancient times. And at first, there was no standard capacity for oil transportation. Somewhere oil was transported in wooden barrels, somewhere - in wineskins. While the volumes of transportation and trade in oil were insignificant, this was not a big problem.
The rapid development of oil production in the second half of the 19th century led to a severe shortage of tanks for storing and transporting oil. For transportation of oil, all available barrels of various purposes and sizes were used.
How many tons of oil are in 1 barrel?
Since it was convenient to set the price of oil for 1 barrel, the use of barrels of different sizes caused great inconvenience to customers. With the increase in trade volumes, the lack of a standard capacity for oil deliveries led to the fact that the process of calculating the delivered volumes of oil became increasingly long and laborious.
In August 1866, at the height of the oil boom in northwestern Pennsylvania, a handful of American independent oil producers met in the town of Titusville. One of the issues that was discussed at this meeting was the coordination of standard containers for oil supplies to consumers. As a result, a 42 gallon volume was agreed as a standard oil barrel.
Why, then, was the 42-gallon barrel the standard in the oil industry?
By the year 1700, everyday practice in Pennsylvania and accumulated experience led to the fact that the 42-gallon sealed wooden barrel became the de facto standard container for transporting fish, molasses, soap, wine, oil, whale oil and other goods.
Barrels with a capacity of 42 gallons when filling them with oil had just such a weight that one healthy person could handle. One person could not cope with larger barrels, and using smaller barrels was not so economically advantageous. In addition, 20 barrels with a capacity of 42 gallons were ideally placed on typical, at that time, barges and railway platforms.
Thus, choosing a 42 gallon barrel as an industry standard was a logical and natural step for early oil producers. In 1872, the American Petroleum Association officially approved a 42-gallon barrel as a standard.
Currently, oil, of course, is no longer transported in any barrels. It is transported by tankers and oil pipelines. But the oil barrel as a unit of measure remained in the practice of world oil trade.
The Blue Barrel Myth
or Why is the abbreviation “bbl” used to refer to a barrel?Another question that has haunted me for a long time: why are there two letters “b” in the barrel designation (bbl), although the English word barrel has only one “b”?
Popular rumor says that such an abbreviation owes its origin to the phrase blue barrel (blue barrel). The fact is that in the early practice of Standard Oil, it was to paint its oil barrels in blue. The blue barrel was a kind of guarantee that its volume is 42 gallons.
Although this version is very widespread, in fact, it is a myth. If you dig a little deeper, you can make sure that the abbreviation bbl It was used long before the birth of the oil industry and the emergence of Standard Oil with its holy blue barrel. Various documents accompanying the transport of goods (honey, rum, whale oil and other goods) confirm that the abbreviation bbl was used as early as the eighteenth century.
Sally Brig Ship Cargo Declaration dated September 11th, 1764
(upon careful reading, you may notice the use of the abbreviation bbl)There are other hypotheses about the origin of the abbreviation bbl. For example, some believe that bbl was used to indicate the plural. That is, one barrel is 1 bl, two barrels is 2 bbl, etc. Others believe that the abbreviation bbl was used to mean the word barrel so as not to confuse it with the word bale. That is, 1 bl is one bale, and 1 bbl is one barrel.
The last hypothesis seems to me the most plausible. But I could not find a definite answer. In general, the truth is somewhere nearby. And how everything was really there, it seems to us no longer to find out ...