shales
Fissile clay rocks
Shales is the plural of shale, a fine-grained sedimentary rock that splits easily into thin layers.
Shale forms from compressed clay and mud, often containing oil or natural gas: The company is drilling into the shales of North Dakota.
Oil shales have become central to debates about energy production and environmental impact.
Formed from deposited material
- mudstoneCompacted clay and silt rock
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
- laminationBonding sheets together
stratigraphy · compaction · outcrop · bedding · strata · deposition · fissile · weathering
Fluid-pressure extraction technique
- frackingExtracting gas via pressure
- horizontal drillingSubsurface excavation parallel to ground
- wellboreDrilled subsurface hole
- permeabilityAbility to transmit fluids
drilling · production · completion · stimulation · reservoir · exploration · recovery
Study of ancient organisms
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- trilobitesExtinct marine arthropods
- plant fossilsMineralized remains of vegetation
- ammonitesExtinct coiled-shell cephalopods
ferns · prehistoric · Cambrian · imprints · trace fossils · organic matter · fossil beds
Carbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
- fuelEnergy source material
retorting · bitumen · combustible · refineries · energy independence · reserves · resources · carbon footprint
sedimentary
Formed from deposited material
- mudstoneCompacted clay and silt rock
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
lamination · stratigraphy · compaction · outcrop · bedding · strata · deposition · fissile · weathering · erosion
hydraulic fracturing
Fluid-pressure extraction technique
- frackingExtracting gas via pressure
- horizontal drillingSubsurface excavation parallel to ground
- wellboreDrilled subsurface hole
permeability · drilling · production · completion · stimulation · reservoir · exploration · recovery
paleontology
Study of ancient organisms
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- trilobitesExtinct marine arthropods
- plant fossilsMineralized remains of vegetation
ammonites · ferns · prehistoric · Cambrian · imprints · trace fossils · organic matter · fossil beds
hydrocarbons
Carbon-hydrogen organic compounds
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
fuel · retorting · bitumen · combustible · refineries · energy independence · reserves · resources · carbon footprint · greenhouse gases
- geologybedrock, fault lines, faults, rock, basalt
- petroleum geologypetroleum, crude oil, hydrocarbon, oil field, source rock
shalesigneous rocks
Stone from cooled magma
granite · basalt · volcanic rocks · obsidian · pumice
- shale oilFuel from heated sedimentary rock
- shale gasFuel from fine-grained formations
- Burgess ShaleCambrian lagerstätte in Canada
- oil shaleHydrocarbon-rich sedimentary formation