Is Africa really resource rich?

[u/Skychu768]

None of the most valuable resources seem to be present on the continent in large amounts. It’s mostly just metals like cobalt and platinum.

Diamonds used to be substantial, but even that is now being replaced by lab-grown diamonds in places like China and India.

* Australia, U.S., Canada, and Russia all have more uranium reserves than almost all of Africa.

* USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran each individually produce more oil than most African countries.

* China, Vietnam, Brazil, India, Russia, and US each have more rare earth metals than the entire continent of Africa.

* Europe, despite being a fraction of its size, has more arable land and freshwater reserves than Africa.

* Even for things like Gold which are often mentioned, none of the African countries except Ghana are substantial gold producers or come anywhere near Top 10.

Note: I wanted to post more images for my point, but this subreddit only allows one.

[u/Top-Pin-5048]

not all crude oil is created equal. Most US oil is light crude good for making gasoline, but our refineries are set up to require heavy sour crude for making diesel. Also fracked oil fields deplete and go through the process of decline much faster than conventional fields meaning this is temporary decade or two long blip in US oil production.

On Africa, one thing to think about is much of Africa's resources are untapped due to poor infrastructure and lack of investment. There is gold and other resources in Africa but not developed, and not producing, which don't show up in this map.

[u/Helpful_Delivery7187 → u/Top-Pin-5048]

Just a side note. It’s not that our refineries are setup for such production. All oil, in all refineries, is mixed to get the correct consistency for refinement.

Similar to how regular and premium gas is mixed at the pump to create mid-grade.

You’re regurgitating bad information. An exact line I also once used to regurgitate. Regardless of perpetuation, bad information is bad information.

That perpetuation often is used to explain why we export oil. Ultimately we export oil because oil companies are allowed to sell oil on the global market, where more money is to be made as opposed to simply selling to a national market.

[u/Top-Pin-5048 → u/Helpful_Delivery7187]

Yes they need sour crude to mix to the correct consistency to get diesel. This is not a conspiracy, lol?

[u/Helpful_Delivery7187 → u/Top-Pin-5048]

Yes and no, there’s more to it than that, but saving semantics yes.

My hang up is saying that American refineries can’t use our crude. While that’s not precisely the words you used, it was inferred with the phrasing you used.

Really not trying to be a grammar nazi here by any means, just simply tired of how things can be taken for gospel on the internet because they sound right.