Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Oil Shale forms on the beds of seas and lakes and its formation starts with the organic debris settling and accumulating at the bottom of a lake or sea which are then transformed into rock with the help of high temperature and pressure.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Slaty
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Not Yet Found
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Uganda
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Oil shale and Basanite Properties
Know all about Oil shale and Basanite 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 Basanite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Oil shale is Splintery whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Oil shale appears Muddy and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Oil shale is dull while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Oil shale are an oil and gas reservoir and that of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.