Where is oil shale found

Formation of oil shale has occurred in a number of environments, from fresh to saline lakes, marine basins, and in some swamps usually in association with coal deposits. In some ways, oil shale may seem similar to coal, but in fact differs greatly in composition. The kerogen within oil shale is also of different organic composition than coal, which enjoys a more matured organic makeup that is lower in hydrogen and higher in oxygen than oil shale kerogen.

See this factsheet on oil shale from the U. We have now covered the process that leads to the formation of petroleum and petroleum-like resources. In the case of marine deposits, this begins with phytoplankton, which then enter the food chain that leads to the sedimentation of zooplankton rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.

In terrestrial burial, the process begins in higher order organic life such as trees and shrubs, which then deposit primarily carbohydrates and lignin. The fraction of minerals to organic matter and the composition of the organics themselves lead to differences in the way that organic chemical reactions proceed and are catalyzed. As organic matter is buried, the process of diagenesis compacts it into organic rich sedimentary rocks.

Further degrees of diagenesis then lead to the generation of kerogen which is then, through deeper burial and catagenesis, transformed through various means into crude oil and natural gas, or coal, depending on the precise conditions. In the case of oil shale and, according to some geologists, bitumen sands, the process of catagenesis is never allowed to be completed due to insufficient burial temperatures and pressures too low.

What is diagenesis? Diagenesis is a process of compaction under mild conditions of temperature and pressure. When organic aquatic sediments proteins, lipids, carbohydrates are deposited, they are very saturated with water and rich in minerals.

All of this occurs within the first several hundred meters of burial. In the same manner that natural mineral catalysts help to transform kerogen to crude oil through the process of catagenesis, metal catalysts can help transform large hydrocarbons into smaller ones. However, all types of kerogen consist mainly of hydrocarbons; smaller amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen; and a variety of mineral s.

Oil shale can be thought of as a precursor to oil and natural gas. A sedimentary rock, oil shale is found all over the world, including China, Israel, and Russia. The United States, however, has the most shale resources. Spanning the U. Although not all of this can be extracted, it is more than three times the proven petroleum reserves of Saudi Arabia. Oil shale, shale oil, and oil-bearing shale are three different substances. Oil shale is a sedimentary rock.

As it reaches its oil window, oil shale releases a liquid known as shale oil. Oil shale is the rock from which shale oil is extract ed. Shale oil is similar to petroleum, and can be refined into many different substances, including diesel fuel, gasoline , and liquid petroleum gas LPG.

Companies can also refine shale oil to produce other commercial products, such as ammonia and sulfur. The spent rock can be used in cement. Oil-bearing shale s are underground rock formations that contain trapped petroleum. Companies extracting tight oil often use hydraulic fracturing fracking , while companies extracting shale oil most often use heat. The Bakken formation , for example, is made of oil-bearing shale. It is a series of layered shale rocks with a petroleum reservoir trapped between the layers.

The Bakken formation stretches from the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, through the U. Improved drilling technologies have allowed companies to extract oil from the Bakken formation, creating an economic boom in the region. Oil shales are often classified by their depositional history and mineral content.

The depositional history of an oil shale includes the organisms and sediments that were deposited, as well as how those deposits interacted with pressure and heat. The van Krevelen Diagram is a method of classifying oil shales based on their depositional history.

The diagram divides oil shales according to where they were deposited: in lakes lacustrine , in the ocean marine , or on land terrestrial. Oil shales from lacustrine environments formed mostly from algae living in freshwater, saltwater, or brackish water.

Lamosite and torbanite are types of oil shales associated with lacustrine environments. Lamosite deposits make up some of the largest oil shale formations in the world.

Oil shales from marine environments formed mostly from deposits of algae and plankton. Kukersite, tasmanite, and marinite are types of marine shales. Tasmanite is named after the region in which it was discovered, the island of Tasmania, Australia.

Marinite, the most abundant of all oil shales, is found in environments that once held wide, shallow seas. Although marinite is abundant, it is often a thin layer and not economically practical to extract.

The largest marinite deposits in the world are in the United States, stretching from the states of Indiana and Ohio through Kentucky and Tennessee. Oil shales from terrestrial environments formed in shallow bog s and swamp s with low amounts of oxygen. The deposits were mostly the waxy or corky stems of hardy plants. Cannel coal was used primarily as fuel for streetlights and other illumination in the 19th century.

Oil shales are classified in three main types based on their mineral content: carbonate-rich shale, siliceous shale, and cannel shale. Carbonate-rich shale deposits have high amounts of carbonate minerals.

Carbonate minerals are made of various forms of the carbonate ion a unique compound of carbon and oxygen. Calcite, for instance, is a carbonate mineral common in carbonate-rich shales. Calcite is a primary component of many marine organisms.

Calcite helps form the shells and hard exteriors of oysters, sea stars, and sand dollars. Plankton, red algae, and sponges are also important sources of calcite. Siliceous shale is rich in the mineral silica, or silicon dioxide. Siliceous shale formed from organisms such as algae, sponges, and microoganisms called radiolarians. Algae have a cell wall made of silica, while sponges and radiolarians have skeletons or spicule s made of silica.

Siliceous oil shale is sometimes not as hard as carbonate-rich shale, and can more easily be mined. Cannel shale has terrestrial origins, and is often classified as coal.

It is made up from the remains of resin, spores, and corky materials from woody plants. It can contain the minerals inertinite and vitrinite. Cannel shale is rich in hydrogen, and burns easily.

People have been using oil shale for thousands of years. Ancient Mesopotamia ns used shale oil to pave roads and caulk ships. Ancient Mongolians dipped the tips of their arrows in shale oil during battles, sending flaming arrows at their enemies. In the Middle East, sticky shale oil was even a component of decorative mosaic s. The modern shale industry began in the 19th century.

This industry used industrial processes to heat shale in order to extract oil. Shale oil was used for a variety of products, including paraffin wax. European countries, and later the United States, began extracting oil shale and shale oil and burning them as sources of fuel. The first U. Extracting and processing shale oil is an expensive and difficult process.

Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are less expensive to extract. Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and South Africa began mining oil shale in the 19th and 20th centuries, but they all stopped production by the s. The U. Many nations, including Estonia, China, and Brazil, continue to rely on oil shale for fuel.

It is burned to generate electricity , is a component in chemical industries, and byproduct s are used in cement production. Personal Finance. Your Practice. Popular Courses. Oil Guide to Investing in Oil Markets. Commodities Oil. What Is Oil Shale?

Key Takeaways Oil shale refers to rock formations that contain hydrocarbon deposits that can be extracted for use. The production process for oil shale is usually more expensive and capital-intensive than conventional crude oil. Historically, the production of oil shale has been inversely related to the market price of conventional crude oil. Compare Accounts. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation.

This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace. Shale oil is a type of oil found in shale rock formations that must be hydraulically fractured to extract.

Read about the pros and cons of shale oil. What Is Hydraulic Fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing stimulates better flow in oil and gas plays by injecting a high-pressure liquid and sand mixture into the wellbore.

What Does Acidizing Mean? In the oil and gas extraction industry, acidizing is a technique used to extend the useful life of an oil and gas well. Non-Hydraulic Fracturing Non-hydraulic fracturing, also known as dry fracturing, is a method for extracting oil that does not rely on the use of water in the drilling process. What Does Unconventional Oil Mean? Unconventional oil is crude oil that has been identified or extracted using novel methods.

Petroleum Petroleum is a fluid found in the earth that can be refined into fuel and plastics.