# Understanding Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE): Definition and Calculation Guide

## What Is a Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE)?

A Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE) quantifies energy using a standardized measure beyond just oil, assisting investors and analysts in comparing oil and natural gas reserves effectively. Oil, measured in barrels, and [natural gas](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/natural-gas-equivalent.asp), measured in cubic feet, can use BOE for like-for-like evaluations. This standard is essential for gauging company assets and investment potential.

### Key Takeaways

*   A Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE) standardizes energy content across different resources like oil and natural gas to facilitate comparisons.  
    
*   One BOE is roughly equivalent to the energy in 6,000 cubic feet of natural gas.  
    
*   The concept of BOE helps energy companies report their total reserves in a unified measure.  
    
*   Analysts use BOE to evaluate energy companies' performance in terms of total energy production and reserves.  
    
*   BOE is an essential metric for investors to understand a company's assets and potential value.

## How BOE Impacts Energy Reserves Evaluation

The BOE is frequently used when [exploration and production](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/exploration-production-company.asp) companies are reporting the total amount of reserves they have. Oil and natural gas are formed through the same geological processes; therefore, the two energy [commodities](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/commodity.asp) are often found together. Many energy companies have a mixed reserve base, and they need a way to communicate the total energy content of their reserves in a manner that is easily understood. They can accomplish this by converting all of their reserves to BOE.

An energy company's main asset is its energy reserves, which guide its financial decisions and planning. For investors, a company's reserves are important in assessing the value of the company and determining whether or not the company is a good investment.

Both investors and companies want to see a company's total energy resource increase over time. Using BOE to represent reserves makes it easier to compare total energy assets over time and with other companies. It would be more complicated to compare a company's energy assets over time and against other companies if natural gas and oil were presented separately.

## BOE Calculation: Converting Energy Measurements

Converting assets to BOE is fairly simple. In terms of volume, oil is represented per barrel, and natural gas is represented per thousand cubic feet (mcf). A barrel of oil contains 42 gallons, or about 159 liters. A barrel of oil holds about 5.8 million British thermal units (MBtus) or 1,700 kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is an approximate measure because different grades of oil have slightly different energy equivalents.

One [Mcf](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mcf.asp) of natural gas contains approximately one-sixth of the energy of a barrel of oil; therefore, 6,000 cubic feet of natural gas (6 Mcf) have the energy equivalent of one barrel of oil. For large quantities of energy, BOE can be represented at kilo barrels of oil equivalent (kBOE), which is 1,000 BOE.

> **Tip**
>
> The Society of Petroleum Engineers provides conversion tables that help illustrate unit equivalencies and some of the factors that affect comparison and conversion.

## BOE Conversion in Daily Energy Production

BOE also comes up when communicating daily energy production and consumption. This is expressed in [barrels of oil equivalent per day](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/boed.asp) (BOE/D). Barrels of oil equivalent per day is a term that is used often in conjunction with the production or distribution of [crude oil](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crude-oil.asp) and natural gas. ​BOE/D is important to the financial community because it is used as a way to help determine the value of a company.

There are several different metrics that equity and bond analysts use to evaluate the performance of an oil company. First is a company's total production, which is calculated on a total equivalent barrel basis. This helps to determine the scale of the business. Companies that produce little oil and a lot of natural gas could be unfairly evaluated if equivalent barrels were not counted.

## What Is Barrel of Oil Equivalents (BOE) in Economics?

Oil is measured in barrels and natural gas is measured in cubic feet. To help facilitate like-for-like comparisons, the industry standardized natural gas production into "equivalent barrels" of oil.

## How Do I Calculate BOE?

One barrel of oil is standardized to have the same amount of energy content as 6,000 cubic feet of natural gas. So this quantity of natural gas is "equivalent" to one barrel of oil.

## Why Is a Barrel of Oil 42 Gallons?

The 42-gallon barrel was a commonly used standard prior to the 18th century. This sized container was used for shipping everything from fish, molasses, soap, butter, wine, and whale oil. When filled with oil instead of fish or other commodities, a 42-gallon “tierce” weighed 300 pounds. The 42-gallon oil barrel was officially adopted in 1866.  

## How Much Crude Oil Does It Take to Make One Gallon of Gasoline?

Crude oil is refined into various end products, including gasoline used in cars. Refineries use approximately 2.15 gallons of crude oil to generate one gallon of gasoline.

## The Bottom Line

A barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) is a standardized measure that equates varying energy resources to the energy contained in a single barrel of crude oil, facilitating straightforward comparisons across oil, natural gas, and other energy resources. This unit is pivotal in the oil and gas industry, especially when exploration and production companies report their total reserves.

Investors and analysts frequently rely on BOE to evaluate a company's energy assets and make informed assessments about its value and investment potential. Understanding BOE is crucial for accurately assessing energy company performance and conducting comparative analyses.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  American Oil & Gas History Society. "[History of the 42 Gallon Barrel](https://aoghs.org/transportation/history-of-the-42-gallon-oil-barrel/#:~:text=Soon%20after%20America's%20first%20commercial,%E2%80%9Ctierce%E2%80%9D%20weighed%20300%20pounds.)."
>     
> 2.  Texans for Natural Gas. "[How many gallons of oil does it take to make a gallon of gasoline?](https://www.texansfornaturalgas.com/how_many_gallons_of_oil_does_it_take_to_make_a_gallon_of_gasoline#:~:text=Facts-,How%20many%20gallons%20of%20oil%20does%20it,make%20a%20gallon%20of%20gasoline%3F&text=Refineries%20in%20the%20United%20States,gallon%20barrel%20of%20crude%20oil.)"