Oil shale

Oil shale is a general term applied to a group of fine black to dark brown shales rich enough in bituminous material (called kerogen) to yield petroleum upon distillation. The kerogen in oil shale can be converted to oil through the chemical process of pyrolysis. During pyrolysis the oil shale is heated to 450-500° C in the absence of air and the kerogen is converted to oil and separated out, a process called "retorting". Oil shale has also been burnt directly as a low-grade fuel. The United States Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves estimates the world supply of oil shale at 1662 billion barrels of which 1200 billion barrels are in the United States {{ref|www.eia.doe.gov.58}}. This is comparable to the amount of reserves of conventional oil.

Related Topics:
Shale - Kerogen - Petroleum - Distillation - Pyrolysis - United States - Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves

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Estonia, Russia, Brazil, and China currently mine oil shale, however production is declining due to economic and environmental factors.

Related Topics:
Estonia - Russia - Brazil - China

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