"Geology and Resources of Some World Oil Shale Deposits" Topics defined and discussed in brief: Origin of Organic Matter Thermal Maturity of Organic Matter Discussion of oil shales from various world regions Estimates of recoverables etc.
Various threads, some unrelated to oil (such as the "Free Speech" thread)- have had posts on the subject. Since both the U. S. and Canada have large oil shale deposits, Mudcats have discussed and speculated on these deposits, since everyone is cussing gas prices.
Points to remember are that production costs from oil shales, and to a lesser extent oil sands, are high, and that exploitation can be destructive to the environment. Some (oil sands of Alberta, in production) require large volumes of water to process. If oil prices remain at $150/bbl or thereabouts, we will see active work begin on the shale resources. Some 5-10 years development will be needed after start-up to get the hydrocarbons to the pump in any volume.