Pros:
- big supply, 800 billion barrels worth, in US (1)
Cons:
- expensive & complex to extract oil from (1)
- technology of industry inhibited (1)
- nonrenewable
An oil shale is any sedimentary rock which contains bituminous materials released as petroleum-like liquids when heated. Like the other fossil fuels, the process to create oil shale starts millions of years ago. In this case, oil shale forms from silt and organic debris subjected to heat and pressure, lesser than that oil is subjected to, over long periods of time. (1)
Oil shale is mined and processed similar to oil, but extraction of oil from oil shale is expensive and complex. Because oil shale is solid, not liquid, it must be mined and then heated to a high temperature. The liquid which results from this must then be separated and collected. Oil shale can burn without processing becuase of the amount of oil in it. (1)
Because of the price and complexity behind extracting oil, oil shale technologies were never fully developed due to the lower cost of ground pumped oil, there was not much incentive. As such, even today, it is a costly operation which needs more research and technology to become commercially viable (1)
Oil shale can be mined through surface mining and underground mining, similar to coal. (1)
Like mining coal, mining oil shale also has significant potential to harm surrounding envrionments, and processing results in harmful emissions. (1)
(1) Oils Shale & Tar Sands Programmatic EIS Information Center
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