Unconventional Fossil Fuels
Unconventional fossil fuels are petroleum and natural gas deposits that are difficult and expensive to extract, requiring advanced technologies. Major types include tar sands, oil shales, shale gas, and coal-bed methane, which together represent substantial remaining fossil fuel reserves.
Real World
Canada's Athabasca tar sands in Alberta are the world's third-largest oil reserve, but extracting bitumen requires vast quantities of water and energy, and has destroyed large areas of boreal forest.
Exam Focus
Distinguish unconventional from conventional fossil fuels by referencing extraction method — marks are lost when students conflate the two.
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