Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Unknown
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
NA
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Toughness
2.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.1
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia