Band 8+: The graph below shows the production levels of the main kinds of fuel in the UK between 1981 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line chart illustrates the amount of energy being produced by three different major types of fuel in the UK from 1981 to 2000.

In general, there was an increase in the production levels of natural gas, while a constant decline was seen in the figure for coal. It is also clear that the amount of petroleum being produced consistently had by far the highest figures throughout the period, even though a considerable decline was seen in the middle part of the period.

In 1981, coal was the second largest source of fuel production, with an output of 80 million tons. However, coal production levels have seen a gradual decline, after which it became the lowest figure among the three major fuels. The opposite trends could be seen in the production of natural gas, which has increased and overtaken coal and rose to become the only rising fuel in the final stretch. On the other hand, petroleum still held the position of the largest source of fuel from the start until the end of the period.