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What is Oil shale?



Definition

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

Texture
Splintery

Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance
Less

Durability
Durable

Water Resistant
Yes

Scratch Resistant
No

Stain Resistant
Yes

Wind Resistant
No

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Muddy

Uses

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

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

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
No

Types of Metamorphism
-

Weathering
Yes

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion
Yes

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
2-3

Grain Size
Very fine-grained

Fracture
-

Streak
White

Porosity
Highly Porous

Luster
Dull

Compressive Strength
-

Cleavage
Slaty

Toughness
2.6

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8

Transparency
Opaque

Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
0.39 kJ/Kg K 30

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Sedimentary Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Oil shale

What is Oil shale? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Oil shale i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Oil shale include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Oil shale is -. Streak of Oil shale is white while its cleavage is slaty. Luster of Oil shale is dull and its fracture is . Oil shale is opaque in nature. Know all about Oil shale, What is Oil shale, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Oil shale

What is Oil shale composed of? Get to know about composition of Oil shale here. Oil shale definition gives information about the Formation of Oil shale and its composition.The composition of Oil shale can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Oil shale rock includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides and The compound content of Oil shale rock includes Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Oil shale rock in next section.

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