shale
Compressed mud rock
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from compressed clay and mud.
It splits easily into thin layers along parallel planes.
Shale formations often contain oil and natural gas, extracted through hydraulic fracturing: The company drills for shale oil in North Dakota.
Shale cliffs crumbled along the shoreline.
Fissile metamorphic rock
- mudstoneCompacted clay and silt rock
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
sandstone · marlstone · sedimentary · fissile · laminated · bedrock · outcrop · formation
Study of rock layers
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
- metamorphismHeat-pressure mineral alteration
lamination · outcrop · formation · basin · tectonics · fold · anticline · syncline
Slippery viscous fluid
- gasFormless, expanding substance
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- crudeUnpolished, raw state
fossil fuel · reserves · production · barrel · refinery · pipeline · export · OPEC
Extracting gas via pressure
- hydraulic fracturingFluid-pressure extraction technique
- drillingHole-making by rotation
- horizontalParallel to the horizon
- wellboreDrilled subsurface hole
rig · completion · permeability · stimulation · reservoir · pressure · pump · injection
slate
Fissile metamorphic rock
- mudstoneCompacted clay and silt rock
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
limestone · sandstone · marlstone · sedimentary · fissile · laminated · bedrock · outcrop · formation · basin
stratigraphy
Study of rock layers
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
metamorphism · lamination · outcrop · formation · basin · tectonics · fold · anticline · syncline · erosion
oil
Slippery viscous fluid
- gasFormless, expanding substance
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
crude · fossil fuel · reserves · production · barrel · refinery · pipeline · export · OPEC · nonrenewable
fracking
Extracting gas via pressure
- hydraulic fracturingFluid-pressure extraction technique
- drillingHole-making by rotation
- horizontalParallel to the horizon
wellbore · rig · completion · permeability · stimulation · reservoir · pressure · pump · injection · casing
fissile
Able to split apart
friable · crumbly · cleaving · splitting · platy · layered · splintering · sheets · slabs · chips
grey
Neutral achromatic tone
green · dark · dusky · muted · earthy · charcoal · drab · somber · banded · variegated
- petroleumcrude oil, crude, petroleum, oil wells, oil fields
- rocky terraincliffs, boulders, scree, outcrops, rockfall
- badlandsbadlands, butte, buttes, mesa, hoodoo
- Coal Measurescoal seam, coal bed, fireclay, anthracite, mudstone
- Frackinghydraulic fracturing, fracking, refracturing, horizontal drilling, perforation
- mudrocksmudstone, claystone, siltstone
shaleigneous rock
Crystallized molten material
granite · basalt · obsidian · volcanic rock · rhyolite
- shale oilFuel from heated sedimentary rock
- shale gasFuel from fine-grained formations
- Burgess ShaleCambrian lagerstätte in Canada
- oil shaleHydrocarbon-rich sedimentary formation