Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
History
Origin
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Muddy
Architecture
Interior Uses
-
Exterior Uses
-
Other Architectural Uses
-
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Present
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fracture
-
Streak
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Compressive Strength
-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Toughness
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 30 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia