Data Source: BP, Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

COAL
The top 25 GHG emitting countries collectively account for approximately 92 percent of global coal production and known reserves. Coal mining and use is highly concentrated. Six countries—the United States, Russia, China, India, Australia, and South Africa—contain 82 percent of global coal reserves and account for an equal share of coal production (BP, 2009). Overall, approximately 18 percent of total world coal production is traded across national borders, though increased trade in coal is expected in the coming decades (IEA, 2009).

OIL
Together, the top 25 GHG emitting countries account for 61 percent of production and 51 percent of known oil reserves (BP, 2009). Oil consumption patterns are weakly correlated with reserves, which are heavily concentrated in the Middle East, and less geographically concentrated than other fuels. This is primarily due to two factors: (1) oil dominates transport, accounting for nearly 94 percent of the global energy consumed in that sector (IEA, 2009) and (2) its tradability, with about 67 percent of global oil production being moved across borders through a well-developed global transit network of tanker fleets (BP, 2009).

NATURAL GAS
With respect to natural gas, the top 25 GHG emitters account for 67 percent of production and 58 percent of gas reserves. As with oil, natural gas reserves are highly concentrated; 67 percent of known gas reserves are in just seven countries—Russia, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Nigeria. Russia, Iran, and Qatar alone account for 53 percent (BP, 2009). Approximately half of all production and consumption takes place in the U.S., Russia, and EU, with the remainder widely dispersed geographically.