Shale oil: ecological outcome of profitable business

Oil shales (light tight oil) - diverse
fine-grained rocks, which contain refrectory organic
material that can
be refined into
fuels
What is shale oil?

1930s – 100 units produced required 1 unit to be expended
2000s Crude oil – 11 units to 1 unit
Shale oil – 5 units to 1 unit

Shale oil basins in the USA
1970 – 9.6 m barrels/ day
2008 – 5 m barrels / day

Shale oil basins in Russia

ECOLOGICAL OUTCOME

AFTER MINIG THE LAND HAS TO BE RECLAIMED
1 BARREL OF OIL SHARE PRODUCTION - 25% GREATER VOLUME

OIL SHALE WOULD BE A HUGE WATER CONSUMER

Main air pollution is caused by the oil shale fired power plants

Laws and shale oil
2011 – the UK moratorium
2013 – the USA Environmental Protection Agency proposed limits green-house emissions