ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Countries by shale oil reserves

Imagine that the earth is like a big, round cake. And deep inside this cake, there are tiny bubbles of something called shale oil. Just like how you might find raisins or nuts buried in a cake.

Now, countries around the world have been digging into this cake to find those little bubbles of shale oil. Some countries have found more shale oil than others, which means they have more bubbles to use.

Think of it like a race to find the most raisins in a cake. Some kids might find a lot and some might just find a few, depending on how lucky they are.

These countries with more shale oil in their cake have a big advantage because they can use it to power their cars, heat their homes, and make electricity. It's like having a big jar of raisins that they can use whenever they need it.

But not all countries have the same amount of shale oil. Some have a lot, like the United States and Russia, while others have very little, like Japan. This means that some countries will have to rely on other sources of energy, like wind power or nuclear power.

So, when people talk about "countries by shale oil reserves", they are really talking about how many raisins each country has in their cake. And the more raisins they have, the better off they are for powering their country.