About Oil Shale

The term oil shale refers to sedimentary rocks that contain solid bituminous materials (called kerogen) that is released as petroleum-like liquids when the rock is heated.

When heated to high temperatures an oil-like substance and combustible gas can be extracted from the rock, which can be refined to produce clean petrol and diesel, electricity generation and be used as a raw material in the chemical and construction materials industries.

Total world resources of oil shale are conservatively estimated at 2.6 trillion barrels¹. An oil shale demonstration plant in Queensland, Australia produced 700,000 barrels of oil between 2001 and 2003, and oil shale still remains a major energy source for Estonia (who account for 70% of world production) and the commodity is also being exploited in China, Brazil, Germany, Israel and Russia.

Australia's oil shale resource is estimated to be around 58 billion tonnes or 4,531 million tonnes of shale oil² with significant deposits located in northern Queensland and Tasmania. This resource has the potential to significantly increase if research and development investigations into the processing of shale oil lead to the development of a commercial plant.

Tasmanite oil shale is unique to Tasmania and has advantages over other Australian oil shales in that it can be used as a source of bitumen as well as oil. The shale is also unique among world oil shales because its kerogen arises principally from its content of fossil oil spores.

Unlike other oil shales, oil from Tasmanite spores may be physically separated from the waste material. Tasmanite can therefore be beneficiated by relatively cheap physical processes such as froth flotation.

In 2007, prices for crude oil have risen again to levels that may make oil shale-based oil production commercially viable, and both major energy corporations such as Shell and governments worldwide are interested in pursuing the development of oil shale as an alternative to conventional oil.

Boss Energy's point of difference - Tasmanite Oil Shale

This variety of oil shale is unique to Tasmania and has advantages over other Australian oil shales in that it can be used as a source of bitumen as well as oil.

The shale is also unique among world oil shales because its kerogen arises principally from its content of fossil oil spores. Unlike other oil shales, oil from Tasmanite spores may be physically separated from the waste material. Tasmanite can therefore be beneficiated by relatively cheap physical processes such as froth flotation.

For more detail on oil shale please click here (154kb, PDF)

_{1 American Association of Petroleum Geologists
2 U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey.}