Unconventional Fossil Fuels

Question 1

What are unconventional fossil fuels?

Answer 1

Fossil fuels produced using different methods to those used for conventional fossil fuels

Question 2

Deep water oil

Answer 2

Accessible oil reserves depleting so compares looking in deeper ocean reserves

Question 3

Tar sands

Answer 3

Contains bitumen which can be extracted and used to make synthetic crude oil

Canada has 73% of worlds tar sands

Question 4

Shale gas

Answer 4

Natural gas trapped in fractures and shales

Extract it through fracking

Question 5

Oil shale

Answer 5

Organic compounds in sedimentary rock that haven’t become conventional oil due to insufficient pressure & heat

Question 6

Costs of exploiting tar sands in Canada

Answer 6

Increased greenhouse gas emissions

Creates ponds of waste material + contaminates water

More expensive than conventional ($20 per barrel compared to $2 per barrel)

Toxins carried into Athabasca River which can cause cancers and auto-immune disorders

Question 7

Benefits of exploiting tar sands in Canada

Answer 7

Provides Canada + USA energy security (Canada use 20%, export 70% to USA)

Job created in areas where limited jobs are avaliable

Allows economic dev for Canada and Alberta
*Alberta is where tar sands are extracted from