Year 11 - Geography
Developing unconventional oil/gas sources in sensitive or remote areas
Energy
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit teaches pupils about different energy resources, their extraction and uses. Pupils learn about the different types of energy, the factors affecting extraction and the patterns and inequalites associated with production and consumption. Pupils also learn about energy futures.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the environmental costs associated with developing unconventional sources of oil and gas - oil from tar sands and gas from shale.
Key Notes
- Unconventional sources of oil and gas include shale gas and tar sands.
- Unconventional sources of oil and gas are increasingly being exploited.
- There are environmental costs associated with developing new unconventional oil and gas sources.
Vocabulary To Learn
- unconventional: sources of oil and gas that are relatively difficult to extract because the oil and gas is trapped and cannot flow freely towards an oil well or a gas well
- water quality: whether what is in a supply of water (e.g. its chemical or biological contents) make it suitable for a particular kind of use
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Fracking only uses water which means its environmental impacts are harmless.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Unconventional sources of oil and gas include shale gas and tar sands. Unconventional sources of oil and gas are increasingly being exploited.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'unconventional'
sources of oil and gas that are relatively difficult to extract because the oil and gas is trapped and cannot flow freely towards an oil well or a gas well.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Fracking only uses water which means its environmental impacts are harmless. Correction: In fact fracking fluid includes toxic chemicals and sand as well as water, which can have serious environmental impacts if they get into groundwater or are spilled. The wastewater left over from fracking also needs to be stored carefully.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Changing attitudes to unsustainable energy consumption Study Guide
- Changing oil supply and prices Study Guide
- Classification of energy – non-renewable, renewable and recyclable Study Guide
- Costs and benefits to fossil fuel alternatives Study Guide
- Developing conventional oil/gas sources in sensitive or remote areas Study Guide
- Distribution of oil reserves, factors affecting growth of oil consumption Study Guide
- Energy futures – contrasting views Study Guide
- Environmental impacts of energy extraction Study Guide
- Factors affecting access to energy resources Study Guide
- Global patterns of energy use and causes of variations Study Guide
- Reducing demand on fossil fuels Study Guide
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