El-Nakheil Oil Shale: A Promising Resource of Unconventional Raw Material for Fuel and Energy in Egypt

Oil shales in Egypt are widely distributed in the Western Desert, Eastern Desert and Sinai. They cover a wide age spectrum from middle Jurassic to upper Cretaceous. In this study different sample from El-Nakheil mine analyzed using X-ray diffraction, clay mineralogy organic geochemical analysis and bitumen extraction, to evaluate these oil shales. The investigated samples have shown very good organic richness TOC: ranged from 24.8 % to 35 %), very good hydrocarbon, generating potential (pyrolysis S2: 154.74mg HC/g rock), with type II/I kerogen and thermally immature as its T max ranges from 416 - 421°C.