Soviet Union Table of Contents
The Soviet Union is self-sufficient in the three major fuels that drive its industry: coal, natural gas, and oil. It has long been a major exporter of oil and gas to its allies and to the West, and hard currency from those exports has financed the purchase of critical import commodities. In 1985 fuel and energy export provided 60 percent of Soviet hard-currency income. The question of which of the three major fuels should be emphasized has been a matter of continuous scrutiny and adjustment in government policy. The two largest users of coal are by far the metallurgy and electric power industries. Large amounts of oil products go for electric power, agriculture, transportation, and export; large amounts of natural gas go for electric power, metallurgy, the chemical industry, construction materials, and export.
Data as of May 1989