What is Oil Shale?

Oil Shale is a general term used to describe sedimentary rocks, generally shales, rich enough in organic matter (hydrocarbons) called “Keregen, to yield an oil like substance capable of being converted to synthetic petroleum products, following heating at temperatures of the order of 450 – 500C in the absence of air, a chemical process termed, “pyrolysis”. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “ The Green River Formation may have 1.6 trillion barrels of oil of which 1 trillion is ultimately recoverable”. This amount of oil is roughly equivalent to ALL the combined proven conventional reserves in the world today.