Energy Minerals

Energy minerals are natural geological raw materials that can be converted into energy, including both fossil fuels such as coal, peat, crude oil and natural gas and minerals from which radioactive elements used in the nuclear energy industry can be extracted.

About 99% of Norway's electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants, but on a worldwide basis, this is just a drop in the ocean.  In 2012, only 2.4% of the world's total energy was produced in hydropower plants, while 86.5% came from energy minerals, with fossil fuels as the dominant energy source ( Key World Energy Statistics, International Energy Agency )

Datasett fra kartlegging av uran-forekomster i Norge i perioden 1950-1986 har  vært viktig for kartlegging av risiko for helse og miljø, blant annet for kartlegging av radioaktivt nedfall etter Tsjernobyl-ulykken i 1986. I dag måler NGU systematisk den naturlige radioaktive strålingen fra berggrunnen og bruker dataene som signatur for ulike bergartstyper, forekomsttyper og områder som har forhøyet risiko for radon-gass.