Block of oil shale (marlstone) and a beaker of the crude oil (kerogen) that is derived from it. Oil shale is a fine-grained rock that contains varying

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Block of oil shale (marlstone) and a beaker of the crude oil (kerogen) that is derived from it. Oil shale is a fine-grained rock that contains varying amounts of kerogen, an organic material. Heating or retorting (distilling) to 900 degress F. yields a synthetic oil and gas. This specimen is from the Green River formation, a major deposit spread over the Colorado-Wyoming-Utah area.

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Size: 5787px × 3879px
Photo credit: © U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: crude, fossil, fuel, geology, kerogen, marlstone, oil, shale