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Shale oil is a type of synthetic fuel generated by the oil shale pyrolysis. In this process, oil shale is heated to a point at which its kerogen transforms into shale oil and gas. The resulting product may then be used in many of the same ways as crude oil.

As of 2008, most oil shale industries perform the extraction process after the rock is mined, crushed, and transported to a retort, although several experimental technologies perform the process in place (in-situ). Its decomposition into usable hydrocarbons begins at relatively low temperatures (300 °C/570 °F), but proceeds more rapidly and more completely at higher temperatures.[1]

Shale oil requires additional processing before it can be sent to a conventional oil refinery. Raw shale oil typically contains 0.5 to 1% oxygen, 1.5 to 2% nitrogen, and .15 to 1% sulfur. Mineral particles are often present as well. Sulfur and nitrogen must be removed since they destroy the catalysts used in the refining process. The oil is also less fluid than crude oil, becoming pourable at temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit,[2], while crude oil is pourable at temperatures between -60 Centigrade and +30 Centigrade.[3] These properties affect the oil's ability to be transported in existing pipelines within the United States.[4]

The oil derived from oil shale is not a direct substitute for crude oil in all applications. It does not contain the full range of hydrocarbons used in modern gasoline production, and can only be used to produce middle-distillates such as kerosene, jet fuel, and diesel fuel.[5]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Koel, Mihkel (1999). "Estonian oil shale". Oil Shale. A Scientific-Technical Journal (Extra). Estonian Academy Publishers. ISSN 0208-189X. 
  2. ^ {{cite book|author=Sunggyu Lee|year=1991|title=Oil Shale Technology|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=N0wMCusO6yIC&pg=PA7&dq=%22shale+oil%22+olefins&as_brr=3&sig=baKfL-0ZOVvbSyP5ADyn51nnzho|publisher=CRC Press}
  3. ^ . 
  4. ^ Market assessment for shale oil. Energy Citations Database (1979). Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  5. ^ Andrews, Anthony (2006-04-13). "Oil Shale: History, Incentives, and Policy" (PDF). . Congressional Research Service Retrieved on 2007-06-25.