Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From quartz + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Foliated, Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Lustrous
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, 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
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Not Available
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Indiscernible
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.6-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.32-2.42 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
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
All about Oil shale and Quartzite Properties
Know all about Oil shale and Quartzite 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 Quartzite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Oil shale is Splintery whereas that of Quartzite is Foliated, Granular. Oil shale appears Muddy and Quartzite appears Lustrous. The luster of Oil shale is dull while that of Quartzite is vitreous. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Oil shale are an oil and gas reservoir and that of Quartzite are an oil and gas reservoir, as armour rock for sea walls, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, in aquifers, laboratory bench tops, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums.