Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Ghee86 on 13/06/2011 06:49:44

Title: What's the difference between an energy reserve and an energy resource?
Post by: Ghee86 on 13/06/2011 06:49:44

I'm confused about the two terms. I usually see those terms used when talking about oil, i.e., oil reserve and oil resource.

Title: What's the difference between an energy reserve and an energy resource?
Post by: CliffordK on 13/06/2011 08:10:12

My guess is that the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably. 

A "Resource" is something that can be used to produce energy.  It can be either renewable such as hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, etc.  Or it can be non-renewable such as oil or coal.

A "Reserve" would be some energy that one is not using now...  but has the potential to be used in the future.  For example, one might think of Alaska Oil being a reserve that we might choose to use in the future.  Generally it would not apply to non-renewable energy.  You can't bottle up the wind.  However, one might consider some of the capacity behind a dam as being a reserve.

Title: What's the difference between an energy reserve and an energy resource?
Post by: imatfaal on 13/06/2011 09:54:28

I think of a reserve as something that we have put there (ie the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in USA, the hypothetical gold reserve) and a resource is something as yet unexploited but whihc we know is there.

Semantics though - different people/industries/contexts will vary meaning.