Fossil Fuels
Oil · Natural Gas · CoalChemical energy stored in hydrocarbon or carbon-rich material is released primarily through combustion or additional processing.
RESOURCE CATEGORY
Energy Resources
Energy resources provide the fuels, heat, electricity, and industrial power behind modern economies. From crude oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium to geothermal energy and other naturally occurring energy sources, each resource has its own geology, supply chain, market structure, uses, advantages, limitations, and environmental footprint.
Primary Role
Power & Fuel
Resource Types
Fossil · Nuclear · Geothermal
Markets
Global & Regional
Key Factors
Supply · Cost · Density · Infrastructure
UNDERSTANDING ENERGY
What Is an Energy Resource?
An energy resource is a naturally occurring material, substance, or geological source that can be converted into usable heat, electricity, mechanical work, transportation fuel, or industrial energy.
Some energy resources are extracted and burned. Others release energy through nuclear reactions, while geothermal systems use naturally occurring heat within the Earth. Their economics depend on far more than the resource itself: extraction costs, processing, transport, infrastructure, regulation, technology, and local demand all matter.
MAJOR ENERGY RESOURCES
Resources That Power the World
Energy resources differ in physical form, extraction method, market structure, infrastructure requirements, energy density, and end use.
01
LIQUID FOSSIL FUEL
Crude Oil
A globally traded liquid hydrocarbon resource refined into transportation fuels, petrochemicals, lubricants, asphalt, and other products.
View Crude Oil → 02 GASEOUS FOSSIL FUELNatural Gas
Used for electricity generation, heating, industrial processes, fertilizer production, and as a feedstock for chemicals.
View Natural Gas → 03 SOLID FOSSIL FUELCoal
A carbon-rich sedimentary resource used in electricity generation, steelmaking, cement production, and industrial heat.
View Coal → 04 NUCLEAR FUELUranium
A dense nuclear fuel resource used in reactors to generate large quantities of electricity through controlled nuclear fission.
View Uranium → 05 POTENTIAL NUCLEAR FUELThorium
A naturally occurring radioactive element considered in alternative nuclear-fuel cycles and advanced reactor concepts.
View Thorium → 06 EARTH HEATGeothermal Energy
Heat stored within the Earth that can support electricity generation, district heating, direct heat use, and geothermal systems.
View Geothermal → 07 BITUMEN RESOURCEOil Sands
Sand, clay, water, and bitumen deposits requiring specialized mining or in-situ recovery and upgrading.
View Oil Sands → 08 KEROGEN-RICH ROCKOil Shale
Organic-rich sedimentary rock containing kerogen that can be converted into liquid hydrocarbon products.
View Oil Shale →
RESOURCE SYSTEMS
Three Very Different Energy Pathways
Separating energy resources by how useful energy is released helps clarify their very different technologies and economics.
Nuclear Fuels
Uranium · ThoriumNuclear reactions release energy from atomic nuclei, producing heat that can be converted into electricity.
Earth Heat
Geothermal ResourcesNaturally occurring subsurface heat can be accessed through wells or heat-exchange systems and used directly or converted to electricity.
ENERGY CONVERSION
How Resources Become Useful Energy
Raw energy resources normally require conversion infrastructure before they provide electricity, heat, movement, or industrial power.
Combustion
Coal, petroleum products, and natural gas release heat through controlled burning.
Refining
Crude oil is separated and transformed into fuels and chemical feedstocks for specific markets.
Fission
Uranium fuel releases nuclear energy, producing heat that ultimately drives electricity-generating systems.
Heat Extraction
Geothermal wells and heat-exchange systems capture naturally occurring subsurface heat.
MARKET UNITS
There Is No Single “Energy Price”
Each energy resource uses its own market conventions, grades, contracts, delivery locations, and measurement units.
OIL
USD per Barrel
Crude oil benchmarks and regional grades are commonly quoted in dollars per barrel.
GAS
USD per MMBtu
Natural gas is often priced by thermal energy, with substantial regional variation.
COAL
USD per Tonne
Coal prices depend on type, heat content, sulfur, ash, geography, and specifications.
U₃O₈
USD per Pound
Uranium-market references are often expressed in dollars per pound of uranium oxide concentrate.
GEO
Project Economics
Geothermal resources are evaluated through drilling cost, temperature, reservoir performance, and project economics.
Market context matters.
Resource values should use the correct product,
specification, geography, contract,
and measurement unit.
ENERGY SUPPLY CHAIN
From Geological Resource to Useful Energy
01
Resource
Reservoir · Seam · Ore · Heat
→
02
Extraction
Mine · Well · Drill
→
03
Processing
Refine · Enrich · Upgrade
→
04
Transport
Pipeline · Ship · Rail · Grid
→
05
Conversion
Plant · Reactor · Engine
→
06
End Use
Power · Heat · Transport · Industry
ENERGY ECONOMICS
What Affects the Value of an Energy Resource?
Resource Quality
Grade, composition, energy content, impurities, depth, pressure, or temperature.
Extraction Cost
Geology, accessibility, labor, infrastructure, technology, and recovery method.
Transportation
Pipelines, ports, rail, shipping, roads, and transmission networks affect delivered value.
Processing
Refining, enrichment, upgrading, treatment, and fuel preparation add cost and complexity.
Demand
Electricity, transport, heating, industry, manufacturing, and economic growth influence consumption.
Geopolitics
Trade restrictions, sanctions, conflicts, alliances, and concentrated supply can affect markets.
Regulation
Environmental rules, taxes, permitting, safety requirements, and energy policy shape projects.
Technology
New extraction, conversion, storage, efficiency, and competing technologies can alter economics.
ENERGY DENSITY
Not All Energy Resources Store Energy the Same Way
Energy density describes how much usable energy is associated with a given mass or volume, but direct comparisons require care. Fuels operate through different physical processes, conversion efficiencies, and infrastructure systems.
Nuclear fuels contain extraordinarily concentrated potential energy compared with chemical fuels, while geothermal energy is better understood through heat flow, reservoir temperature, and system performance rather than conventional fuel density.
Nuclear Fuel
Extremely concentrated energy potential
Liquid Fuels
High energy density and practical transportation
Natural Gas
High-value gaseous fuel requiring dedicated infrastructure
Coal
Solid fuel with varying energy content and quality
Geothermal
Heat resource evaluated differently from conventional fuels
ENERGY SECURITY
Resources Are Only Useful When Supply Systems Work
Energy security depends on resource access, infrastructure, storage, transportation, processing, and geopolitical stability.
Resource Access
Domestic supply, imports, reserves, geology, and extraction capacity.
Infrastructure
Pipelines, refineries, terminals, mines, reactors, plants, ports, and grids.
Diversification
Multiple suppliers, fuel types, routes, and technologies reduce dependence.
Resilience
Storage, redundancy, maintenance, planning, and flexibility help absorb disruption.
WHERE ENERGY GOES
Major Uses of Energy Resources
Electricity
Power plants convert nuclear, fossil, geothermal, and other energy into electrical output.
Transportation
Petroleum-derived fuels still power much of global road, marine, and aviation transportation.
Industry
Heat and electricity support steel, cement, chemicals, refining, mining, and manufacturing.
Buildings
Electricity and fuels support lighting, heating, cooling, cooking, equipment, and hot water.
CHANGING ENERGY SYSTEMS
Energy Transition Creates New Resource Connections
Changes in electricity generation, transportation, battery storage, grids, and electrification are shifting demand toward a broader mixture of metals and minerals.
Electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and expanded electricity networks increase demand for copper, lithium, graphite, nickel, rare earth elements, aluminum, and other materials.
ENERGY RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Browse Energy Resources
Crude Oil
Liquid fossil fuel
Natural Gas
Gaseous fossil fuel
Coal
Solid fossil fuel
Oil Sands
Bitumen resource
Oil Shale
Kerogen-rich rock
Uranium
Nuclear fuel
Thorium
Potential nuclear fuel
Geothermal Energy
Earth heat resource
No energy resources match that search.
RELATED RESOURCE CATEGORIES
Continue Through Earth Value Index
01
Metals
Materials used throughout energy generation, transportation, infrastructure, and industry.
02Critical Minerals
Strategically important materials with supply-chain and economic significance.
03Battery Minerals
Lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and related materials.
04Industrial Minerals
Materials supporting drilling, construction, manufacturing, chemicals, and infrastructure.
SOURCES & METHODOLOGY
Energy Resource Information
Earth Value Index uses government energy agencies, geological surveys, technical publications, market references, academic sources, and clearly identified industry data when describing energy resources, production, supply, markets, uses, infrastructure, and value.
EARTH VALUE INDEX
See How the Earth's Resources Power Modern Life
Continue through energy resources, metals, minerals, critical materials, and the technologies and infrastructure that depend on them.