World’s energy sources

The first oil wells were drilled less than 150 years ago but oil, and petroleum which comes from it, has become the most important energy source. Almost 36 percent of the world’s energy supply comes from oil. Most oil is found in the Middle East and has to be taken by tankers or pipelines to places where it is used around the world. Coal is the world’s second most important source of energy. It makes up over 28 percent of the total. Coal is a fossil fuel and is made from plants that lived and died 300 million years ago. The world’s local reserves will last about another 145 years. This is more than twice as long as gas (61 years) and almost four times as long as oil (38 years). The third main source of power comes from gas that occurs naturally beneath the Earth’s surface. It accounts for 24 percent of the world total.