An Overview of Oil Shale Resources

There are vast quantities of oil shale around the world in deposits located in 27 countries. The quality, quantity, and origins of these shale deposits vary greatly. The United States has the largest known resource of oil shale in the world - an estimated 6 trillion barrels (1). Other significant deposits of oil shale can be found in Russia, Brazil, Estonia, and China. The world's oil shale resources are largely untapped and may represent considerable oil reserves with suitable economic conditions and advances in extraction technology.