Resources Group Progress Report on Unconventional Oil Studies

Merzeau, J.M. (1980). Resources Group Progress Report on Unconventional Oil Studies. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-80-028

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Abstract

Since many end uses (especially transportation and petrochemical feedstocks) rely on them, liquid fuels are and will remain for some time, essential to both developed and developing economies. Nevertheless, it is now becoming quite clear that the supply of conventional oil -- including both large deposits and those still untapped -- is limited. Synthetic liquid fuels and/or unconventional oil will therefore have to be used more and more in the near future. Attention has now turned (at least in official declarations and at conferences) to poorer quality resources such as oil shale and tar sand. In order to develop this larger resource base and to ensure available energy reserves, substantial scientific research and improvement in current technology is required.

This paper aims to enable a better assessment of the importance of these resources over the next few decades. Section I attempts to provide background information on the resources available in tar sand and oil shale. Section II explores the different techniques of oil recovery and Section III looks at the problems related to this exploration.

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