Abstract
Unconventional hydrocarbon applications have been growing rapidly in recent years. Unconventional oil can be produced from oil sands, oil shale, extra heavy oil, gas to liquids (GTL), and other liquids. Conventional fossil energy will not be enough to meet the continuously increasing need for energy in the future. In this case, renewable energy sources will become important. Conventional oil sources are currently preferred because they are less expensive than unconventional sources. New technologies are being developed to reduce unconventional oil production costs.