TrueValueMetrics ... Impact Accounting for the 21st Century

Date: 2025-10-31 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00005696
Metrics Carbon Emissions How much CO2 produced by burning one barrel of oil?
Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess
How much CO2 produced by burning one barrel of oil? In: Chemistry [Edit categories] ... Answer: For the oil Mineral oil has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3, 'good' crude oil of around 0.8 - 0,83 g/cm3 and 'heavy' crude oil is above 0,92 g/cm3 Crude oil consists (by weight) of 83% to 87% carbon. One barrel is about 159 liters. Assuming a density of 0,85g/cm3 for our oil we would end up with 135 kg of oil, which contains on the higher end (87% carbon) 118 kg of carbon. For the carbon dioxide: Carbon Standard atomic weight: 12.0107(+/- 0.00008) g·mol−1 Oxygen Standard atomic weight: 15.9994(+/- 0.00003) g·mol−1 Lets say: Carbon = 12 and 2 x Oxygen = 2 x 16 = 32 => Total: 44 (12/44 = 27.27% of Carbon in CO2) Assuming that all the carbon will find its oxygen to form CO2, that would be 433 kg of carbon dioxide. With above assumptions: 1 barrel of oil could produce 433 kg of carbon dioxide. (Ignoring all other side products) Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API_gravity#Classifications_or_grades

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