Shale oil extraction is an industrial process for unconventional oil
production. This process converts kerogen in oil shale into shale oil
by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. The resultant
shale oil is used as fuel oil or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock
specifications by adding hydrogen and removing sulfur and nitrogen
impurities. Shale oil extraction is usually performed above ground (ex
situ processing) by mining the oil shale and then treating it in
processing facilities. Other modern technologies perform the processing
underground (on-site or in situ processing) by applying heat and
extracting the oil via oil wells. The earliest description of the
process dates to the 10th century. The industry shrank in the mid-20th
century following the discovery of large reserves of conventional oil,
but high petroleum prices at the beginning of the 21st century have led
to renewed interest. As of 2010, major long-standing extraction
industries are operating in Estonia, Brazil, and China. Its economic
viability varies with the ratio of local energy input costs to energy
output value. National energy security issues have also played a role
in its development. Critics of shale oil extraction pose questions
about environmental management issues, such as waste disposal,
extensive water use and waste water management, and air pollution.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extraction>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1783:
The first of five strong earthquakes hit the region of Calabria in
present-day southern Italy, killing more than 32,000 people over a
period of nearly two months.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1783_Calabrian_earthquakes>
1923:
Australian cricketer Bill Ponsford made 429 runs to break the world
record for the highest first-class score.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ponsford>
1958:
A Mark 15 nuclear bomb disappeared off the shores of Tybee Island,
Georgia, US after it was jettisoned during a practice exercise when the
bomber carrying it collided in midair with a fighter plane.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Tybee_Island_B-47_crash>
1963:
The European Court of Justice's ruling in Van Gend en Loos v
Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen established the principle of
direct effect, one of the basic tenets of European Union law.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/direct_effect>
2007:
After having driven 900 mi (1,448 km) overnight from Houston, Texas, to
Orlando, Florida, US, former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested
for the attempted kidnapping of Colleen Shipman, girlfriend of Nowak's
colleague and former love interest William Oefelein.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Nowak>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
at the feet of (preposition):
As a disciple, subordinate, or worshiper of
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/at_the_feet_of>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Enforced uniformity confounds civil and religious liberty and denies
the principles of Christianity and civility. No man shall be required
to worship or maintain a worship against his will.
--Roger Williams
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Williams>
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