Tar Sands & Oil Shale
Lots of petroleum lives in sand and rock in a very viscous or even solid form, i.e., not directly usable as liquid fuels. But perhaps the petroleum in tar sands and oil shale can be removed, liquified, and brought to market with a sufficiently high EROI....
In-place heating of "oil shale" to produce liquid hydrocarbons: fifth in a long series (linked in the first paragraph) by Heading Out (TOD March 2010).
A two-part review of Canadian tar sands (aka oil sands if you're optimistic or deceitful), both by Gail at The Oil Drum: Part 1 (Aug 2009), Part 2 (Sept 2009).
How tar sands are mined: neutral description by Heading Out (TOD Jan 2010).
Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAG-D) of tar sands (Heading Out, TOD, Jan 2010).
Toe-to-Heel Air Injection for mining tar sands, specifically in Canada (TOD, March 2009)
Environmental Impacts of Developing Oil Sands in Alberta (TOD, Sept 2009); the discussion following the post provides much insight (and some humor).
Carbon Capture & Sequestration in the Alberta Tar Sands—A Dangerous Myth: Report by the WWF-UK (PDF file) with background information, many graphs and pictures, and evidence that developing the tar sands would be a climate disaster....whether or not CCS is applied.
Rough EROI calculations for both tar sands and oil shale (Charlie Hall, TOD, April 2008).
Why I am an oil shale skeptic (Robert Rapier, TOD, May 2008).
Some thoughts on oil shale as a viable petroleum source (Robert Rapier, TOD, June 2006).