Know all about Oil shale and Slate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Oil shale belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Oil shale is Splintery whereas that of Slate is Foliated. Oil shale appears Muddy and Slate appears Dull. The luster of Oil shale and Slate is dull. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Oil shale are an oil and gas reservoir and that of Slate are blackboards, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, standard material for the bed of billiard table, standard material for the beds of pool and snooker table, tombstones, used in aquariums, writing slates.