Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard 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, Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner
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
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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.
Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.54-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.6-2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Oil shale vs Siltstone 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 Siltstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oil shale and Properties of Siltstone. Learn more about Oil shale vs Siltstone in the next section. The interior uses of Oil shale include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Siltstone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oil shale and Siltstone, 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 Siltstone include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Oil shale and Siltstone
Here you can know more about Oil shale and Siltstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oil shale and Siltstone 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 Siltstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oil shale vs Siltstone, 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, Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Oil shale is Muddy and that of Siltstone is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oil shale vs Siltstone. The hardness of Oil shale is 2-3 and that of Siltstone is 6-7. The types of Oil shale are Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale whereas types of Siltstone 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 and Siltstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Oil shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Siltstone is Not Available. 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 Siltstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.