The line graph shows variations in the amount of three main types of fuel—petroleum, coal, and natural gas—in the UK over a 19-year period. Units are measured in millions of tonnes. Overall, natural gas adhered to a consistent rising trend, while the opposite was true for coal with some fluctuations. It is also clear that despite exhibiting significant declines and fluctuations, petroleum led the pack over the presented span.
Turning to the details, in 1981, petroleum started at 85 tonnes, which was marginally higher than coal, at exactly 80 tonnes. By 1986, the former had surged to 140 tonnes, and the latter fell considerably to well above 60 tonnes. Over the ensuing five years, in contrast, both figures followed downward patterns, petroleum to 100 tonnes and coal to roughly 57 tonnes. In the following years, coal went down with some fluctuations, ultimately ending the period at about 37 tonnes. Petroleum, however, soared and reached a chart high of 145 tonnes before falling negligibly to 140 tonnes.
Natural gas, in stark contrast, bucked the foregoing trends. It started at a chart low of approximately 39 tonnes in 1981 and remained almost unchanged until 1989, when it started to increase exponentially. From 1991 onwards, it climbed significantly and reached 80 tonnes in 1996. Over the next four years, it rose gradually and peaked at well above 100 tonnes in 2000.