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Distribution of natural energy resources
Review your understanding of the distribution of natural energy resources in this free article aligned to AP standards.
Key points
- Many energy sources, such ores, coal, crude oil, and gas, are extracted from natural deposits in the Earth. However, these deposits are not uniformly distributed throughout the world. The presence of an energy source in a specific area is largely determined by that area's geologic history.
- Countries use geologic and engineering data to calculate their proven reserves for an energy resource. A proven reserve is an estimate of the amount of a resource that can be obtained from an area in an economically profitable manner.
- The countries with the largest proven reserves of coal are the United States, Russia, China, Australia, and India
- The countries with the largest proven reserves of crude oil are Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Iran
- The countries with the largest proven reserves of natural gas are Russia, Iran, and Qatar
- Countries that have natural deposits of an energy source can be producers of that resource. When a country produces a resource, the country extracts and prepares that resource for use and sale.
- The countries that produce the most coal are China, the United States, and India
- The countries that produce the most oil are the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates
- The countries that produce the most natural gas are Russia and the United States
Want to join the conversation?
How is the US able to produce all three resources even though some of the reservoirs are not in the US? How does the US have claims to all these resources when they are in other countries/what kind of deals do they have?(6 votes)
That's politics which is too complicated. But the idea is that firstly America does have a most of the resources, they do have reservoirs though you don't see it on the map. If they need more they can always purchase from other countries, namely those Oil Exporting Countries like those in the middle east.(2 votes)
How is the amount of resource reserve estimated?(3 votes)
Proven Reserve is defined as the quantity of energy sources estimated with reasonable certainty, from the <<analysis of geologic and engineering data>>, to be recoverable from well established or known reservoirs with the existing equipment and under the existing operating conditions (Quoted from Wikipedia).
In the geological process, they need to perform an analysis first. I believe terrain containing the resources will have geological features.
Then they will drill and build models to estimate based on some form of characteristics.(3 votes)
- How is US able to produce all three resources, but none of the other countries are able to?(3 votes)
- Producing resources isn't as simply as taking a shovel and digging up resources directly. It requires massive investment and knowledge. Take an example:
Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America, known as having the world's largest known oil reserves. However due to government corruption and poor government policies on oil extracting companies, they now even have to import oil for usage.
Location that can contain all three non renewable resources is also a major factor.(2 votes)
- I don't understand how is the U.S producting more oil then they big countries.(3 votes)
- how much of each resource does the US have? it was only listed as one of the highest proven reserves for coal, so what how soon until we run out?(2 votes)
Scientists work day and night to calculate when a resource will be depleted, but that date is dependent on how many people start changing to renewable energy, and when they do that.(2 votes)
Why don't some countries have laws for energy usage to limit ourselves and help other nations?(2 votes)- It would have bad diplomatic consequences to sanction the US. Any sanctions hurt the sanctioning nation's economy if they imported stuff from the nation the are sanctioning(1 vote)
- How can the US produce these resources but many/all countries can’t?(2 votes)
- how much resources do the U.S have and how do they calculate it?(2 votes)
- how does the us acquire all three sources of conventional energy but still wants to extract more oil in the middle east?(1 vote)
- Basic human desire - greed. There's no such thing as enough resources. Everyone always wants more.
You won't hear any rich people saying they had earned enough money.
You won't hear any athletes saying they had got enough awards.(2 votes)
- How is the US able to produce all three resources even though some of the reservoirs are not in the US? How does the US have claims to all these resources when they are in other countries/what kind of deals do they have?(1 vote)