What this converter does
This converter changes cubic metres to oil barrels and back, along with litres, gallons and cubic feet. Metric storage figures often need converting to barrels for trade. Every pair uses a fixed factor, so results stay precise. Type a value and read the answer instantly.
One cubic metre is about 6.29 barrels, so metric tank volumes multiply by roughly 6.3 to reach barrels.
The units it covers
Petroleum volume units, each expressed against the litre.
View all units & their values
| Unit | Symbol | Value | Mainly used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil barrel | bbl | 158.99 | Crude oil trade (42 US gal) |
| Litre | L | 1 | Metric volume |
| Cubic metre | m³ | 1000 | SI, bulk storage |
| US gallon | US gal | 3.785 | US fuel volume |
| Imperial gallon | imp gal | 4.546 | UK fuel volume |
| Cubic foot | ft³ | 28.32 | Gas-equivalent volume |
The formula
Each unit has a fixed value in litres, so any pair converts through the litre:
result = value × factor_from ÷ factor_toWhere:
- value = the number you typed
- factor_from = the “from” unit in litres
- factor_to = the “to” unit in litres
Worked example
Convert 100 cubic metres to barrels.
1 m³ = 6.2898 bbl100 × 6.2898 = 628.98 bblSo 100 cubic metres of oil is about 629 barrels.
The units in this example
The SI unit of volume, one thousand litres, used for bulk storage and metric oil accounting.
- 1 m³ ≈ 6.29 bbl
- 1 m³ = 1,000 L
- 1 m³ ≈ 264.2 US gal
- 10 m³ ≈ 62.9 bbl
The standard unit of crude-oil trade, defined as exactly 42 US gallons (158.987 litres).
- 1 bbl = 158.99 L
- 1 bbl = 42 US gal
- 1 bbl ≈ 0.159 m³
- 1 bbl ≈ 5.615 ft³