Oil shale—essentially a hybrid of oil and coal—is a fine-grained rock that contains a hydrocarbon material called kerogen. Extracting the oil from oil shales is energy-intensive, and results in massive pollution even before the oil itself is burned.

How are oil shales extracted?

There are two primary ways to extract oil from oil shales:

1. The oil shale is mined and brought to the surface, where it is heated, converting the kerogen into oil and gas.
2. In situ recovery involves injecting hot gases and air into holes that have been bored into the underground shale deposit. The kerogen is converted to oil underground, and is retrieved using conventional oil extraction techniques.  

Where are oil shales found?

Close-up of fractured oil shale specimen from the Uinta Basin,Utah Credit: Argonne National Laboratory

The largest, and some of the richest, deposits of oil shales are located in:

• western Colorado
• eastern Utah
• southern Wyoming

If an economical recovery method could be developed, it is estimated that these deposits alone could yield between 500 billion and 1.5 trillion barrels of oil. This is a phenomenally large resource, considering that current global reserves of conventional oil are generally accepted to be approximately 1,000 billion barrels.  

Why are oil shales dirty?

When oil shales are mined, the operations create problems similar to those created by hardrock mining operations––including devastated landscapes, destroyed wildlife habitats, and polluted air and water. The extra energy required to remove the oil from oil shales leads to a particularly energy-intensive method of energy production, generating much greater carbon dioxide emissions than conventional oil extraction. Oil from oil shales contains nitrogen and sulfur that, unless properly removed, can form nitrogen and sulfur compounds that contribute to air and water pollution. Other by-products and potential contaminants related to oil shale extraction include uranium, sulfur, zinc, and other threats to the health of humans, wildlife, and the environment.

For More Information

• Oil Shale and Tar Sands Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement:

  US Bureau of Land Management's website used to prepare the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that will help shape the BLM's policy on oil shale.

• Oil Shale Facts:

  Colorado based group's video discusses the past attempt to develop oil shale that became know as "Black Sunday" when the operation ultimately failed.

• USGS

  USGS reassesses oil shale policy.

• National Public Radio:

  News story on the Utah oil shale industry

• MSNBC:

  News story on the U.S. moratorium on oil shale development.

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