The line graph shows changes in the amount of petroleum, coal and natural gas produced in the UK from 1981 to 2000, measured in million tonnes (mt).
Overall, petroleum, the leading type of fuel, saw an increasing trend over the period, solidifying its dominance. Natural gas also registered a substantial upward change, but the reverse was true for coal.
Initially, petroleum production was the highest at approximately 90mt. After a surge to nearly 140mt in 1984, it experienced a marked decline in the late 1980s, returning to near original levels. However, from the early 1990s onwards, production levels grew almost continually and reached the chart-high of around 150mt towards the end of the period.
Although coal production was on par with petroleum at 80mt in 1981, it fell over time. It first more than halved to around 35mt until 1984. Despite a brief resurgence that followed, the production of this fuel decreased again, returning to below the 40mt mark by 2000.
In stark contrast, natural gas started the period as the least significant fuel in the country’s energy market, with less than 40mt of this fuel produced annually. Nevertheless, its production rose consistently, surpassing coal in the early 1990s and reaching 100mt in 2000.