Oil Shale
Oil Shale for Energy-Power-Fuel
Oil Shales
Oil Shale is a sedimentary rock substance with a fine grain that contains a significant amount of Kerogen. Oil Shale is actually a misnomer for two reasons; first because the rock is not actually a shale substance, and second because the hydrocarbon manufactured from the Kerogen is not true oil.
The Kerogen that is found in oil shale can be converted, through a chemical process that is known as pyrolysis, into synthetic crude oil. Oil shale can be used as a raw material for construction material and chemical industries.
Oil shale resources can be found in many different countries, but only approximately thirty-three different countries possess oil shale deposits with any real economic value. There are several oil shale deposits that have not yet been explored.
Oil shale has industrial uses in Brazil, China, Germany, Israel, Estonia and Russia. There are other countries who are currently assessing their oil shale reserves, or who are working on an experimental production.
Oil shale is exploited for cement production in China, Germany and Estonia, and for other chemical industries in Russia and Estonia. Estonia is responsible for more than seventy percent of the world’s production of oil shale.
There are two basic ways that you can mine oil shale; the first of which is traditional underground mining, and the second of which is through several different forms of surface mining. Room and pillar method mining is the most popular mining method for traditional underground oil shale mining.
executive summary on Oil Shale for Energy-Power-Fuel by David Evarts
Oil Shale in the Green River Formation
Oil shale is a black rock feeling grainy to the touch and greasy. When heated, oil shale oozes bubbling crude. This precious resource is rare and found only in a few select countries like China, Brazil, Estonia, Morocco, and Australia. The United States dominates the oil shale market with possessing over 72% of the world’s oil shale resources.
Extracting the oil from shale has always been cost prohibitive. Oil shale processing can be made energy efficient. It is necessary to work out any problems so we can take advantage of this huge resource.
Scientists and engineers continue working on ways to recover oil shale for a reasonable cost. Dozens have stepped forward with claims that they can extract the oil for as little as $10 a barrel.
The protective legislation on the Green River Formation was lifted on August 8, 2005 by President Bush and signed into law. This mandate is called The Energy Policy Act of 2005. It calls for the opening phases of oil extraction in the Green River Formation, the world’s most concentrated energy source.
executive summary on Oil Shale in the Green River Formation by C. Jent
