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How do you extract oil (or "bitumen") from oil/tar sand and oil shale deposits?

a) Through conventional drilling and pumping
b) By planting oilseed crops and extracting the oil from their seeds
c) Using specialized mining and extraction techniques
d) By simply scooping it up with shovels and buckets

User Shinjin
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Oil and bitumen are extracted from oil/tar sand and oil shale deposits using specialized mining techniques, such as strip mining or hydraulic fracturing, not conventional drilling.

Step-by-step explanation:

The extraction of oil from oil/tar sand and oil shale deposits is not accomplished through conventional drilling and pumping methods. Instead, specialized mining and extraction techniques are required due to the nature of the substances. Oil/tar sand deposits contain bitumen, a thick and heavy form of petroleum, which is usually extracted by strip mining. This involves removing large layers of earth to access the deposits. Once accessed, the oil is separated and refined for use as fuel. Oil shale is a type of sedimentary rock filled with organic matter that can be processed to produce liquid petroleum. Oil shale can be mined using strip mining or subsurface mines, and then it is either burned directly like coal or processed in the presence of hydrogen to extract the liquid petroleum.

Another method of extraction is fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing. This involves drilling down into the earth and then injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to fracture the rock formations and release the oil and gas deposits contained within. In some cases, drilling may also be directional, bending horizontally through the deposit.

User Geoaxis
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