Comment by dragonwriter

> When the price went negative, it made me wonder if I could legally take delivery of barrels of oil in my back yard.

Typically, the exchange contract is quite specific about where and how delivery can be made, and “in barrels shipped to your backyard” isn't an option. See, e.g., the delivery procedures here: https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/energy/crude-oil/light-swee...

Also, “barrels” are just a (traditional for the commodity) unit of measure (42 US gallons/35 imperial gallons), not actual containers used for delivery.