OIL SHALE

facts and figures

 Key facts
Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains significant amounts of kerogen
(a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which technology can be used to extract liquid
hydrocarbons. Oil shale differs from bitumen-impregnated rocks (oil sands and petroleum reservoir
rocks), humic coals and carbonaceous shale. While oil sands originate from the biodegradation of oil,
heat and pressure have not (yet) transformed the kerogen in oil shale into petroleum. Kerogen requires
more processing to use than crude oil, which increases its cost as a crude-oil substitute both financially
and in terms of its environmental impact. Deposits of oil shale occur around the world, including major
deposits in the United States of America. Estimates of global deposits range from 2.8 trillion to 3.3
trillion barrels (450 × 109 to 520 × 109 m3) of recoverable oil.

The chemical process of pyrolysis can convert the kerogen in oil shale into synthetic crude oil. Heating
oil shale to a sufficiently high temperature will drive off a vapor which processing can distill (retort) to
yield a petroleum-like shale oil—a form of unconventional oil—and combustible gas. Industry can also
burn oil shale directly as a fuel for power generation and heating purposes and can use it as a raw
material in chemical and construction-materials processing.

Oil shale has gained attention as an energy resource as the price of conventional sources of petroleum
has risen. Estonia and China have well-established oil shale industries, and Brazil, Germany, Israel and
Russia also utilize oil shale.
 Reserves
In-place oil
shale
In-place shale resources
oil resources (million
(million barrels) tonnes)
USA 2 085 000 301 353
Europe 85 386 12 346
Russia 243 899 34 900
Arfica 153 381 22 477
Asia 14 009 2 149
Canada 12 300 1 717
Brazil 80 000 11 448

A 2005 estimate set the total world resources of oil shale at 411 gigatons — enough to yield 2.8 to
3.3 trillion barrels (520 km3) of shale oil. This exceeds the world's proven conventional oil
reserves, estimated at 1.317 trillion barrels (209.4 km3), as of 1 January 2007. The largest deposits
in the world occur in the United States in the Green River Formation, which covers portions of
Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Deposits in the United States constitute 62% of world resources;
together, the United States, Russia and Brazil account for 86% of the world's resources in terms of
shale-oil content. These figures remain tentative, with exploration or analysis of several deposits
still outstanding
 History
Following the 1973 oil crisis,
world production of oil shale
reached a peak of 46 million
tonnes in 1980 before falling
to about 16 million tonnes in
2000, due to competition
from cheap conventional
petroleum in the 1980s.

As of 2008, industry uses oil shale in Brazil, China, Estonia and to some
extent in Germany, Israel, and Russia. Oil shale serves for oil production in
Estonia, Brazil, and China; for power generation in Estonia, China, Israel,
and Germany; for cement production in Estonia, Germany, and China; and
for use in chemical industries in China, Estonia, and Russia. As of 2009, 80%
of oil shale used globally is extracted in Estonia
 Industrial uses

Fuel Chemicals Construction Other

Gas Benzol Road fillers Sulphur

Liquified gas Tiophen Asphalt resins Carbon fibers

Diesel fuel Toluol Cement Deemulsifiers

Boat diesel Bitumen Construction blocks Adsorbent carbons

Heating fuel Resins Rock wool Ichtiols

Solvents Mastic Insecticides

Soda ash
 Processing technologies

Oil shale

In- situ
Direct use Ex-situ retorting (underground)
retorting

Burning for heat

Vertical Horizontal Shale oil Shale gas
and electricity in
retorting retorting retorting retorting
power plants

Technology processes

GALOTER
Shell ICP Chevron CRUSH
Narva Power KIVITER ENEFIT
ASO CCR Petro Probe
Plants FUSHUN ATP
IEP GFCP MWE IGE
PETROSIX
 Vertical vs. Horizontal Retorting
Vertical retorting
• Advantages:
– Process simplicity;
– Minimal investment;
– No need for highly qualified
personnel.
• Disadvantages:
– Can not process small shale
fractions;
– Carbon is not fully extracted;
– Toxic residue (waste).
Horizontal retorting
•Advantages:
– Maximum recovery of
hydrocarbons;
– Lower environmental impact;
– Residue is not toxic
•Disadvantages:
– Large investment;
– Complexity of technology;
– Need highly qualified personnel
 Shale boom
Currently shale oil is produced in Estonia, China
and Brazil. Israel, the US and Jordan will start
production soon.

Improvement in shale gas recovery technology

resulted in US surpassing Russia in gas
production in 2009 Wood Mackenzie forecasts
170 bln m3 of shale gas in the US by 2015
(currently ~80 bln m3).