noun
A sedimentary rock containing organic matter that can be processed to produce liquid hydrocarbons. Technical term used in geology and energy contexts.
See also: オイルシェール
石油頁岩から原油を抽出する技術が研究されている。
Technologies for extracting crude oil from oil shale are being researched.
Synonymous loanword from English; 石油頁岩 is the native Japanese term, while オイルシェール is more common in international contexts.
Compound of 石油 (oil) and 頁岩 (shale). The term is a direct translation of the English 'oil shale'.