Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.
Origin
-
Webster, North Carolina
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
-
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
-
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
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
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Ultramafic rock
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
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.
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
3.2-3.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
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
All about Oil shale and Websterite Properties
Know all about Oil shale and Websterite 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 Websterite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Oil shale is Splintery whereas that of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic. Oil shale appears Muddy and Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Oil shale is dull while that of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Oil shale are an oil and gas reservoir and that of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.