Line chart-Oil Use

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

The line chart details the numbers for oil use in the US, China, the Middle East, and Western Europe and Japan from 2009 to 2030. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that despite the US consuming the most oil throughout, this is projected to fall dramatically. Western Europe and Japan’s numbers will continue to decline to become the lowest by the end of the period while consumption will increase steadily in the Middle East and China.

Looking first of all at the United States, consumption began by hovering at just under 10 million from 2009 to 2015 though a precipitous fall is forecast to just over 4 million by 2030. Western Europe and Japan are also predicted to maintain a negative trend, which started at under 4 million barrels a day in 2009 and will end at just over 2 million.

The patterns are similar for China and the Middle East with both commencing at just under 2 million barrels. The former then rose quickly to slightly below 4 million by the present period and is expected to plateau and decline marginally at the end of the time surveyed. The latter will undertake a steadier rise and both regions will likely intersect at around 3 million barrels by 2030.