Publications

Survey of Energy Resources Interim Update 2009

Oil Shale update

At the present time there are a very few countries that utilise their oil shale resource either for direct use in the generation of electricity or for conversion into petroleum products. However, during the period of high oil prices in 2007-2008, and for those countries which had previously quantified their resource or undertaken feasibility studies, development of their oil shale resource became closer to being economically viable. Lower oil prices have not only reduced that viability but the passage of time has seen the tightening of environmental regulations. In the case of both Australia and the U.S., the Government has declared that any development will move slowly, with the environmental impact being fully researched. Furthermore, the technology for in-situ processing still has some years of research before it could be considered for use on a commercial scale.

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