by TJ, Jake, Claire, and Mackenzie Shale Rock Oil by TJ, Jake, Claire, and Mackenzie

Oil Shale A rock containing Kerogen (various organic materials), usually sedimentary Oil shale forms on the bottom of ancient lakes or seabeds.

Kerogen A highly dense, insoluble organic matter found in oil shale. Formed from algae and other organic matter that create gas.

The Process of Producing Shale Oil To begin with, the oil shale is mined from the ground. Most oil shale comes from in-situ mining. Shale rock is mined in Russia, China, and Israel. The largest reserves of shale rock located in the Wyoming area

The Process of Producing Shale Oil The shale rock is next heated, this process is called Pyrolysis. In order to produce shale oil, it must be heated to 800 degrees fahrenheit. Various salts are utilised in pyrolysis, these are discarded as waste afterwards.

Pyrolysis

Energy Outcome Shale oil is very expensive to mine and produce. The energy required to mine large areas and the energy required for pyrolysis all combine for a low net energy.

Pros Shale rock provides an alternative to foreign oil. There is no danger of detrimental oil spills before pyrolysis. Shale rock is readily available all over the world.

Cons The mining of oil shale destroys large tracts of land. The in-situ mining of shale rock can cause land subsidence. The by products of pyrolysis are hazardous and difficult to dispose of.

Shale Mining

Shale oil refining ¡Air Pollution!

Availability Shale oil reserves are abundant, there are an estimated 2.6 trillion barrels still in the ground. The leading producer of Shale Rock Oil is The United States of America. Other producers include but are not limited to: China, Thailand, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia, Jordan, Australia, and Brazil.

Depletion Time! According to the federal government, depletion rates of oil shale are expected to double. Other sources predict that shale production will decrease rapidly in the next few years due to depletion of reserves.

Green River Formation The green river formation is a massive deposit of sedimentary rock underneath colorado. The formation holds an estimated 3 trillion barrels of oil, much of which is Shale Rock oil.

Bakken Oil Formation Bakken oil shale is found in North Dakota. It is one of the largest oil sites in the United States. The Bakken deposit has caused an economic explosion in North Dakota in recent years.

Reference http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/oilshale/ http://amso.net/about-oil-shale/oil-shale-extraction-methods/ http://www.cpeo.org/techtree/ttdescript/pyrols.htm http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3839 http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/oil-shale/ http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/12/17/shale-well-depletion-raises-questions-over-us-oil-boom/ http://bakken.com/news/id/225072/untapped-story-behind-green-river-shale-formation/