Barrons AP Environmental Science

Source: U.S.    Energy  Information Administration  and U.S.    Geological

Survey

Figure  8.11    Major   world   oil shale   deposits

Pros

■ There will    be  less    dependency  on  foreign countries   and OPEC    to  meet

future  energy  needs.

■ Because   there   is  less    drilling    involved    in  most    instances,  oil shale   is

generally   less    expensive   to  produce per barrel  than    regular oil products.

■ Oil   shale   requires    much    less    drilling    or  fracturing  than    other   energy

resources,  resulting   in  less    of  an  overall impact  on  the local   environment.

Cons

■ Oil   (and    other   hydrocarbon by-products)    derived from    oil shale   is  a   fossil

fuel.   Even    though  the world   has large   oil shale   reserves,   the problem

remains that    once    the oil is  obtained    from    shale,  traditional issues  of

environmental   pollution,  acid    rain,   and global  warming will    continue.

■ The   net-energy  yield   of  producing   oil through oil shale   is  moderate    since

energy  is  required    for blasting,   drilling,   crushing,   heating the material,

disposing   of  waste   material,   and environmental   restoration.