paper barrel
n.— «Between 2002 and the present, MacIntyre said, trading in the West Texas crude jumped from 78 million barrels a year to 86.4 million barrels. Such trading involves what are called “paper barrels.” A buyer need not take what is known as “wet delivery.”» —“A real pain in the gas” by Roger Phelps Folsom Telegraph (California) June 24, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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