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In most countries of the world, the oil-shale deposits are insufficiently studied, and information concerning their size or the quality of the shale is, in many cases, lacking or, worse, greatly exaggerated.

In most countries of the world, the oil-shale deposits are insufficiently studied, and information concerning their size or the quality of the shale is, in many cases, lacking or, worse, greatly exaggerated.

The production of oil from oil shales is not new; a synthetic crude oil (SCO) was first manufactured in Scotland in 1694 by retorting oil shale. Significant production began from these Scottish oil shales in the 1840s and peaked in 1913 with a cumulative production of about 1.5 million bbl of oil per year. Production ended in the 1960s because it was not possible to compete with low-cost imported oil.

The production of oil from oil shales is not new; a synthetic [[crude oil]] (SCO) was first manufactured in Scotland in 1694 by retorting oil shale. Significant production began from these Scottish oil shales in the 1840s and peaked in 1913 with a cumulative production of about 1.5 million bbl of oil per year. Production ended in the 1960s because it was not possible to compete with low-cost imported oil.

In 1815, commercial oil-shale retorting was started in New Brunswick, Canada, and between 1850 and 1860, more than 50 commercial plants were constructed in the United States to retort oil from shale imported from Canada. “Colonel” Drake's discovery of oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859 closed down the oil-shale industry in the United States and Canada, but minor production continued in several other countries. Oil shale has been used in Estonia since 1916, principally as solid fuel in the generation of electricity; retorting of the shale to obtain oil has been only a small part of the oil-shale industry in Estonia; at most, only about one-third of the oil shale mined was retorted to obtain shale oil.

In 1815, commercial oil-shale retorting was started in New Brunswick, Canada, and between 1850 and 1860, more than 50 commercial plants were constructed in the United States to retort oil from shale imported from Canada. “Colonel” Drake's discovery of oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859 closed down the oil-shale industry in the United States and Canada, but minor production continued in several other countries. Oil shale has been used in Estonia since 1916, principally as solid fuel in the generation of electricity; retorting of the shale to obtain oil has been only a small part of the oil-shale industry in Estonia; at most, only about one-third of the oil shale mined was retorted to obtain shale oil.