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Visualizing the Scale of Global Fossil Fuel Production

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Scale of global fossil fuel production

The Scale of Global Fossil Fuel Production

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Fossil fuels have been our predominant source of energy for over a century, and the world still extracts and consumes a colossal amount of coal, oil, and gas every year.

This infographic visualizes the volume of global fossil fuel production in 2021 using data from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy.

The Facts on Fossil Fuels

In 2021, the world produced around 8 billion tonnes of coal, 4 billion tonnes of oil, and over 4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.

Most of the coal is used to generate electricity for our homes and offices and has a key role in steel production. Similarly, natural gas is a large source of electricity and heat for industries and buildings. Oil is primarily used by the transportation sector, in addition to petrochemical manufacturing, heating, and other end uses.

Here’s a full breakdown of coal, oil, and gas production by country in 2021.

Coal Production

If all the coal produced in 2021 were arranged in a cube, it would measure 2,141 meters (2.1km) on each side—more than 2.5 times the height of the world’s tallest building.

China produced 50% or more than four billion tonnes of the world’s coal in 2021. It’s also the largest consumer of coal, accounting for 54% of coal consumption in 2021.

Rank Country2021 Coal Production
(million tonnes)
% of Total
#1🇨🇳 China 4,126.050%
#2🇮🇳 India 811.310%
#3🇮🇩 Indonesia 614.08%
#4🇺🇸 U.S. 524.46%
#5🇦🇺 Australia 478.66%
#6🇷🇺 Russia 433.75%
#7🇿🇦 South Africa 234.53%
#8🇩🇪 Germany 126.02%
#9🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 115.71%
#10🇵🇱 Poland 107.61%
🌍 Other 600.97%
Total8,172.6100%

India is both the second largest producer and consumer of coal. Meanwhile, Indonesia is the world’s largest coal exporter, followed by Australia.

In the West, U.S. coal production was down 47% as compared to 2011 levels, and the descent is likely to continue with the clean energy transition.

Oil Production

In 2021, the United States, Russia, and Saudi Arabia were the three largest crude oil producers, respectively.

Rank Country2021 Oil Production
(million tonnes)
% of Total
#1🇺🇸 U.S. 711.117%
#2🇷🇺 Russia 536.413%
#3🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 515.012%
#4🇨🇦 Canada 267.16%
#5🇮🇶 Iraq 200.85%
#6🇨🇳 China 198.95%
#7🇮🇷 Iran 167.74%
#8🇦🇪 UAE 164.44%
#9 🇧🇷 Brazil156.84%
#10🇰🇼 Kuwait 131.13%
🌍 Other 1172.028%
Total4221.4100%

OPEC countries, including Saudi Arabia, made up the largest share of production at 35% or 1.5 billion tonnes of oil.

U.S. oil production has seen significant growth since 2010. In 2021, the U.S. extracted 711 million tonnes of oil, more than double the 333 million tonnes produced in 2010.

Natural Gas Production

The world produced 4,036 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2021. The above graphic converts that into an equivalent of seven billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to visualize it on the same scale as oil and gas.

Here are the top 10 producers of natural gas in 2021:

Rank Country2021 Natural Gas Production
(billion m3)
% of Total
#1🇺🇸 U.S. 934.223%
#2🇷🇺 Russia 701.717%
#3🇮🇷 Iran 256.76%
#4🇨🇳 China 209.25%
#5🇶🇦 Qatar 177.04%
#6🇨🇦 Canada 172.34%
#7🇦🇺 Australia 147.24%
#8🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 117.33%
#9🇳🇴 Norway 114.33%
#10🇩🇿 Algeria 100.82%
🌍 Other 1106.327%
Total4,036.9100%

The U.S. was the largest producer, with Texas and Pennsylvania accounting for 47% of its gas production. The U.S. electric power and industrial sectors account for around one-third of domestic natural gas consumption.

Russia, the next-largest producer, was the biggest exporter of gas in 2021. It exported an estimated 210 billion cubic meters of natural gas via pipelines to Europe and China. Around 80% of Russian natural gas comes from operations in the Arctic region.

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Batteries

4 Benefits of LFP Batteries for EVs

LFP batteries are gaining popularity in EVs, with brands like Tesla and Ford increasingly adopting this technology due to their benefits.

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The following content is sponsored by First Phosphate

LFP Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Even though the technology behind EVs has evolved significantly over the past decade, batteries have always been a critical component. 

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are becoming an increasingly popular choice for standard-range EVs, with major automotive producers like Tesla and Ford introducing LFP-powered vehicles into their catalog. 

In this infographic, our sponsor First Phosphate highlights the advantages of using LFP cathode batteries in EVs.

Benefit 1: Safety

LFP batteries are among the safest types of lithium-ion batteries, with a low risk of overheating and catching fire.

These batteries are less prone to thermal runaway and do not release oxygen if they catch fire, making them safer than other lithium-ion batteries.

Benefit 2: Long Life Cycle

LFP batteries have a longer lifespan than other types of lithium-ion batteries due to their low degradation rate. Meaning they can be charged quickly without significant battery damage, therefore leading to a longer lifespan.

LFP batteries can also withstand a larger number of charge and discharge cycles, meaning they can last longer before needing to be replaced.

Benefit 3: Cost-Effective

The materials used to produce LFP batteries are also relatively cheap compared to other types of lithium-ion batteries.

The main cathode materials used in LFP batteries are iron and phosphate, and they are in relative abundance in contrast to other battery metals. This makes them a cost-effective option for a variety of energy storage applications.

Benefit 4: Environmentally Sustainable

LFP batteries are environmentally sustainable because they are non-toxic and do not contain harmful heavy metals such as cobalt or nickel.

The materials used in these batteries are easier to source ethically, which makes them a more sustainable option than other types of lithium-ion batteries.

What’s Inside the Battery?

Most EVs utilize battery packs consisting of multiple individual battery cells. Similar to other types of lithium-ion batteries, LFP battery cells are made up of several components.

Cathode43%
Anode31%
Electrolyte20%
Cell Container4%
Separator2%

The cathode is the battery’s positive electrode and impacts its performance. It determines aspects such as energy capacity, charging and discharging speed, and the risk of combustion.

In LFP batteries, the cathode composition consists of three elements.

Phosphate 61%
Iron35%
Lithium 4%

Today, these batteries are becoming increasingly popular in standard-range EV models. LFP market share has significantly increased, reaching its highest share in the past decade at 30% of the market in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the LFP battery industry.

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Click here to download First Phosphate’s Investor Deck now.

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