Definition
Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted
Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate
From French syénite, from Latin Syenites (lapis ) (stone) of Syene
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Muddy
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale
Shonkinite
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, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
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.
Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Mineral Content
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
2.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, 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
Brazil, Chile
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Oil shale vs Syenite 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 Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oil shale and Properties of Syenite. Learn more about Oil shale vs Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Oil shale include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Syenite include Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oil shale and Syenite, 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 Syenite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Oil shale and Syenite
Here you can know more about Oil shale and Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oil shale and Syenite 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 Syenite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oil shale vs Syenite, 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, Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Oil shale is Muddy and that of Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oil shale vs Syenite. The hardness of Oil shale is 2-3 and that of Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Oil shale are Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale whereas types of Syenite are Shonkinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Oil shale and Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Oil shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Syenite is 0.92 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 Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.