Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Splintery
Clastic, Polished
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
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
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
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.56-2.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.54-2.66 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Oil shale vs Argillite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Oil shale vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oil shale and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Oil shale vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Oil shale include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oil shale and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oil shale in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Oil shale and Argillite
Here you can know more about Oil shale and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oil shale and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oil shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oil shale vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Oil shale is Muddy and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oil shale vs Argillite. Hardness of Oil shale and Argillite is 2-3. The types of Oil shale are Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale whereas types of Argillite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Oil shale is white while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Oil shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Oil shale is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.