Each of us heard the word "barrel". For most people, it is associated with oil. And only a few know the exact measure that lies in this concept, which came into our language from English. But what is it, why precisely such units of measurement? To answer these questions, you will have to “dig around” a bit in history.
For storage of bulk solids
There is nothing mysterious in this word. Anyone who knows English will easily answer the question of what a barrel is. What else, if not the most ordinary barrel. But why did she become the standard of measure? And there is nothing mysterious here. This pattern was a consequence of the historical development of society.
Primitive man did not care about tomorrow. His life was not much different from the existence of animals: the primary need was to get food for today. With the gradual development of mankind, needs arose for caring for the future and, accordingly, for storing food. In parallel, agriculture developed, which dictated the need to ensure the preservation of large volumes of food. First of all, these were stocks of grain and flour. There were no problems with the liquid, because initially mankind settled near water bodies: rivers or lakes. The most convenient form for storing and transporting large bulk solids was a barrel, which, unlike ordinary tissue storages, did not get wet, quickly wear out and could be used repeatedly.
From solids to liquids
During the Middle Ages, when epidemics hit Europe one after the other, drinking fresh liquid from a stream became unsafe. The lack of sewage systems, the discharge of wastewater directly to the sources led to the fact that Europeans practically stopped using clean water. It was replaced by ale (a type of beer) and wine. That is, the tremendous demand for containers for liquids has increased. And they didn’t come up with a more convenient form than the barrel. In addition, the industrial production of these tanks was not established, so the cooper profession gained almost strategic importance.
Incomprehensible units
It is time to deal with the questions: what is a barrel, why is its value unstable, the value is not integer, but has tenths, hundredths, and even thousandths? Again, a bit of history. Almost until the end of the nineteenth century, each country used its own units of measurement, which served as the cause of conflicts in international transactions. And by that time they had acquired a large-scale character. In 1875, a metric convention was signed by seventeen states to ensure uniform standards. One of these countries was Russia. Gradually, in these powers, local units of measurement were replaced by international ones. Therefore, now we consider kilograms and tons, not pounds and barrels. Today, the convention includes 55 full members and 41 associates.
To find out the answer to the question of what a barrel is, you need to look into the history of England. Initially, the standard for the volume of the barrel was wheat. One barrel included four bushels, which, in turn, consisted of eight gallons each. And one gallon was equal to eight pounds of selected wheat. Given that the pound in the metric system was equal to 454 grams, hence the thousandths when converted. When we switched from bulk substances to liquids, bushels from the list were thrown out (they are only for bulk goods). Therefore, 32 gallons in one barrel gradually increased to 34, and over time to thirty-six.
Why did this word become a unit of measure? Because England was the last world empire.Many countries were British colonies. Even some of the current powers are still formally subordinate to the English crown: for example, Canada and Australia. There are dry, beer, French and American barrels, but the “barrel of oil” has gained worldwide fame. The barrels had different volumes and weights. Therefore, if you are considering the question of how many liters a barrel holds, specify the name and purpose. Because its value ranges from 115.627 liters of dry English to 228 liters of Burgundy wine.
Oil standard
And a little more history. Initially, oil was produced in small volumes, standard containers for transportation did not exist, but they were not required. However, the rapid growth of hydrocarbon production has created a shortage of containers in the form of barrels that were used in any size. A diverse container, in turn, increased the time of trade and added to the labor-intensive process. In 1866, a congress of American oil producers in Pennsylvania was held. One of the questions raised by the participants was the standardization of container sizes.
At this congress, a decision was made, thanks to which to this day a barrel of oil is equal to forty-two gallons. Why did such a standard arise? Barges and railway platforms of the time were built with the expectation that they accommodated twenty 42-gallon barrels. Tanks of precisely this size were used in Pennsylvania, the former English colony, for transporting bulk and liquid substances. It was believed that it was with such a weight that one healthy person could manage. In the modern world, oil is no longer transported in barrels; tankers or oil pipelines are used for these purposes. But it is from the former English colony that the answer to the question comes to us: "What is a barrel of oil?"
How much does a ton of oil hold
Given the fact that Russia has a metric system of measurements, oil production in our country is measured in ordinary tons. And since the density of this hydrocarbon is different, the concept of “barrel in tons” can be interpreted in different ways. Since the weight of one cubic meter of black gold ranges from 820 to 905 kilograms, then a different barrel may contain it in different quantities. But the standard of one barrel for the United States is 0.1364 tons of oil.
