A fine-grained sedimentary rock rich in solid organic material called kerogen. When heated, the kerogen liquefies to produce a fluid petroleum fuel.
A dark-colored shale containing an unusual amount of solid organic material. This shale can be crushed and heated to liberate gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons. At present the expenditure required to process oil shale into a fuel makes this effort marginally profitable or unprofitable.
A brown or black clastic source rock containing kerogen.
A dark-colored shale that contains organic material and that can be crushed and heated to liberate oil.
Shale that is rich in hydrocarbon derivatives, In the United States, a significant oil shale is the Green River Formation, in the Rocky Mountain region.
Dark gray or black shale containing kerogen. Some of the oil shales in this area are so rich in kerogen that early fossil hunters used to burn the rock in their campfires for fuel.
A sedimentary rock containing kerogen, a solid organic material.
A fine-grained, sedimentary rock that contains a solid substance, kerogen, which is partially formed oil. Kerogen can be extracted in the form of shale oil by heating the shale.
A fine-grained, sedimentary rock that contains kerogen, a partially formed oil. Kerogen can be extracted by heating the shale, but at a very high cost.
shale from which oil can be obtained by heating
sedimentary rock containing solid organic material that can be converted to crude oil which is called shale oil.
a sedimentary rock from which oil can be distilled. Some Nova Scotia oil shales are a type of coal composed of tiny plant fragments deposited in lakes
Any sedimentary rock containing solid organic material that yields hydrocarbons, along with a variety of solid products, when subjected to pyrolysis—a treatment that consists of heating the rock to about 500ºC.
A type of rock containing organic matter that produces large amounts of oil when heated to high temperatures.
Fine-grained rock containing various amounts of kerogen, a solid, waxy mixture of hydrocarbon compounds. Heating the rock to high temperatures converts the kerogen into a vapor that can be condensed to form a slow-flowing heavy oil called shale oil. See kerogen, shale oil.
The term applied to several kinds of organic and bituminous shales, most of which consist of varying mixtures of organic matter with marlstones, shale, and clay. The organic matter is chiefly in the form of a mineraloid, called kerogen. Oil shales are widely distributed throughout the world and become of economic interest because of the large amounts of oil which can be obtained from them.
A convenient expression used to cover a range of materials containing organic matter (kerogen) which can be converted into crude shale oil, gas, and carbonaceous residue by heating. Compare SHALE OIL.
Oil shale is a general term applied to a group of rocks rich enough in organic 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 445-500 °C in the absence of air and the kerogen is converted to oil and separated out, a process called "retorting".
