Oil shales can be converted into crude oil and gas through the decomposition of the original rock. Past attempts to use this layer as an energy source have encountered many difficulties, including environmental implications.
Oil shale deposits found in the Oron basin contain a small amount of organic material and were obtained by Shafir industries Ltd. as raw material for clinker production in the cement industry. The concession area is located near the axis of the Oron syncline, in the deep part of the basin, where strata is thickest.
The Ghareb Fm. section on site is composed of oil shale overlaid by marl and chalk. Chalky marl of Taqia Fm. appears above the main section, covered by pebble terraces.
A preliminary study showed that all parts of the section in the concession area can be used as raw materials for the clinker production process: chalk and marl as the sources for calcium carbonate and aluminosilicates respectively, and oil shales as both the main source of energy and raw material. The research was aimed at examining the chemistry of each unit, and the homogeneity over the area.
Samples from a drilling project, including 13 boreholes, with over 1200 m of cores, were analyzed based on ICP MS results. Six spatial units, defined by their unique geochemical signature and lithology, were identified over 0.9 km2. The geochemical analyses showed that the "Oil Shale Unit" contained two units with different geochemical signatures that are similar to the unorganic section. A 3D model shows that the organic content can dramatically change over short distances, depending on the structure.
This study verifies that the section in the concession can fully provide the required raw materials for clinker production. Given the plant is located at the concession site, a self-sustainable production process is presented, consistent with the strategy of multi-layered exploitation of minerals in Israel.