Production

Production is defined as the capture, extraction or manufacture of fuels or energy in forms that are ready for general use [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.10, PDF p. 69, 2018]. It is the first of the two ways an energy product can appear in the territory of reference, the other being import (imports) [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.3, PDF p. 68, 2018]. Energy statistics distinguish two types of production: primary and secondary.

Primary production

Primary production is the capture or extraction of fuels or energy from natural energy flows, the biosphere and natural reserves of fossil fuels within the national territory, in a form suitable for use. Inert matter removed from the extracted fuels, and quantities reinjected, flared or vented, are not included. The resulting products are referred to as “primary” products [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.10, PDF p. 69, 2018].

Secondary production

Secondary production is the manufacture of energy products through the process of transformation of other fuels or energy, whether primary or secondary — see Transformation for the process definition. The quantities of secondary fuels reported as production include quantities lost through venting and flaring during and after production. This convention allows the mass, energy and carbon content within the primary source(s) from which the fuels are manufactured to be balanced against the secondary fuels produced [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.10, PDF pp. 69–70, 2018]. Fuels, electricity and heat produced are usually sold, but may be partly or entirely consumed by the producer — see Energy Industries Own Use [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.10, PDF p. 70, 2018].

Who produces

Production of major importance is carried out by energy industries, whose principal activity is primary energy production, transformation of energy or distribution of energy [IRES, Ch. V, para. 5.23, PDF p. 71, 2018]. Other economic units that produce energy as a secondary or ancillary activity are “other energy producers,” covered separately (IRES Ch. V, Section E — not yet ingested; land in Pass 2).

Related

• IRES Chapter V — Energy Flows — the chapter digest this page supports
• Energy Industries — the economic units whose principal activity is production, transformation or distribution of energy
• Transformation — the process by which secondary production is manufactured from other energy products
• Losses — venting/flaring and other losses distinguished from production quantities
• Energy Products — the general product definition production quantities are measured against