The given line graph compares the production output of three different main types of fossil fuel in the UK from 1981 to 2000.
Overall, it is apparent that petroleum maintained the leading position in production level throughout the surveyed period. Moreover, while there was an upward trend in the production of petroleum and natural gas, the opposite was true for coal.
In 1981, roughly 90 tonnes of petroleum was produced in the UK. Over the next 3 years, the petroleum production grew sharply by nearly half, then remained unaltered at 140 tonnes until 1987 before dropping back to the initial level in 1988. After that, the output of petroleum generated in the UK rebounded to its peak of 130 tonnes in 1995, followed by a gradual increase to over 140 tonnes in 2000.
Regarding other fuels, the UK generated nearly 80 tonnes of coal in 1981, double the output of natural gas. Despite considerable fluctuations in the initial six years, coal production fell gradually to only 40 tonnes in 2000. By contrast, natural gas production saw a consistent growth, surpassing that of coal at the level of nearly 48 tonnes in 1992 and subsequently rising to 100 tonnes over nearly two decades.