Fact Sheet: U.S. Oil Shale Resources 

What is Oil Shale?

U.S. western oil shale is carbonate rock,

generally marlstone that is very rich in organic

sedimentary material called “kerogen.” Eastern

shales are more often silica based.

Oil shales are “younger” in geologic age than

crude oil-bearing formations; natural forces of

pressure and temperature have not yet converted

the sediments to crude oil.

Where is Oil Shale Found?

The richest, most concentrated deposits are found

in the Green River Formation in western

Colorado, southeastern Utah, and southern

Wyoming.

Other significant, less concentrated deposits exist

in the Devonian, Antrim, and Chattanooga shale

formations in several eastern and southern states

and parts of Alaska.

How Much Oil Shale Does America Have?

America’s total oil shale resources could exceed

6 trillion barrels of oil equivalent. However, most

of the shale is in deposits of insufficient thickness

or richness to access and produce economically.

How Much Oil Shale Could Be Recovered?

Potentially recoverable resources are generally

deemed to be at least 15 feet thick and have

potential yields of 15 gallons per ton or more.

Oil shale yields more than 25 U.S. gal/ton are

generally viewed as the most economically

attractive, and hence, the most favorable for

initial development.

About 1.8 trillion barrels of shale oil are thought

to reside in deposits greater than 15 gallons per

ton in the Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

Who Owns the Oil Shale Resources?

The U.S. Government owns and manages about

73 percent of the lands that contain significant oil

shale deposits in the west. Federal lands contain

about 80 percent of the known recoverable

resource in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

State governments and localities and Native

American Tribes also own oil shale lands.

References

1 Reproduced from Oil & Gas Journal “Is Oil Shale America’s Answer to Peak-Oil Challenge?” Pennwell Corporation, August

9, 2004

2Duncan, D.C. and V.E. Swanson: “Organic-Rich Shales of the United States and World Land Areas, U.S.G.S. Circular 523,

1965; as reported in U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, “An Assessment of Oil Shale Technologies” 1980.

3 Reproduced from Oil and Gas Journal, August 9, 2004

4 U.S. Office of Technology Assessment “An Assessment of Oil Shale Technologies, 1980, p. 92, Table 14)

5 Reproduced from Oil and Gas Journal, August 9, 2004