An oil barrel is 42 US gallons.
Oil barrels to Cubic feet Converter — bbl to ft3
Convert Oil barrel (bbl) to Cubic foot (ft3) using the exact conversion factor (1 oil barrel = 5.614583333 cubic foot). See the formula, worked examples, conversion table, history, and common uses.
Oil barrels to Cubic feet converter
Converter
Volume Converter
Convert metric, US customary, imperial, cooking, dry, and industrial volume units.
Context values
Some unit families need one extra value for a physically accurate result.
A cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic meters.
Result = input x 0.1589872949 / 0.02831684659.
Volume uses the cubic meter as the base unit.
Reserved above the conversion cards and below the converter.
About Converting Oil barrels to Cubic feet
Oil barrel and Cubic foot appear side by side at fuel pumps and on beverage labels, since the US measures liquids in gallons while most of the world uses liters. Specifically: An oil barrel is 42 US gallons, and a cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic meters.
Formula
cubic feet = oil barrels × 5.61458333333
This factor comes from each unit's defined relationship to the category's base unit: 1 oil barrel equals 0.158987294928 base units, and 1 cubic foot equals 0.028316846592 base units, so dividing one by the other gives the direct oil barrel-to-cubic foot factor of 5.61458333333.
Simple example
1 bbl × 5.614583333 = 5.614583333 ft3
1 oil barrel = 5.614583333 cubic feet.
Real-world example
10 bbl × 5.614583333 = 56.14583333 ft3
10 oil barrels = 56.14583333 cubic feet.
Conversion table
| Oil barrel (bbl) | Cubic foot (ft3) |
|---|---|
| 1 bbl | 5.614583333 ft3 |
| 5 bbl | 28.07291667 ft3 |
| 10 bbl | 56.14583333 ft3 |
| 25 bbl | 140.3645833 ft3 |
| 50 bbl | 280.7291667 ft3 |
| 100 bbl | 561.4583333 ft3 |
Reverse conversion: Cubic foot to Oil barrel
5.614583333 ft3 × 0.1781076067 = 0.9999999999 bbl
5.614583333 cubic feet = 0.9999999999 oil barrels.
oil barrels = cubic feet × 0.178107606679
For a page dedicated to this direction, see Cubic foot to Oil barrel.
Understanding the Oil barrel (bbl)
An oil barrel is 42 US gallons.
Understanding the Cubic foot
Cubic foot (ft3) measures volume. A cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic meters, derived from the 1959 international foot. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
Where it's used: United States (construction, HVAC, natural gas billing)
Uses of the Cubic foot today
- US natural gas utility billing (often in hundreds or thousands of cubic feet)
- HVAC airflow and building-volume calculations
- Lumber, concrete, and construction material estimation in the US
History of the Cubic foot
The cubic foot, like the square foot, follows from the standardized foot (exactly 0.3048 m since the 1959 international agreement) rather than having a separate historical definition.
Historical origin. Cubic foot was not the invention of a single named person; it developed through the process described above.
Cubic foot — sources
- NIST — International yard and pound (1959) — Basis for the modern foot and its derived volume unit.
Reserved between the cards and the FAQ so the page stays balanced.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in 1 oil barrel?
1 oil barrel equals 5.614583333 cubic feet, using the exact defined conversion factor rather than an estimate.
How do I convert oil barrel to cubic foot?
Multiply the oil barrel value by 5.614583333. The converter above does this instantly to whatever precision you set.
How do I convert cubic foot back to oil barrel?
Use the reverse factor: 1 cubic foot equals 0.1781076067 oil barrels. You can also use the swap control in the converter above to flip the direction instantly.
What is a oil barrel?
Oil barrel (bbl) is a unit of volume.
What is a cubic foot?
Cubic foot (ft3) measures volume. A cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic meters, derived from the 1959 international foot. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
Is the oil barrel to cubic foot conversion exact?
Yes. A cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic meters, derived from the 1959 international foot. That fixed definition is what the converter above uses, so any rounding you see is a display choice, not a limitation of the math.