shale oil

American  

noun

1. petroleum distilled from oil shale.

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shale oil British  

noun

1. an oil distilled from shales and used as fuel

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Etymology

Origin of shale oil

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shale oil

Until 2020, big economic shocks tended to push inflation lower: China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, the U.S. mortgage crisis, the euro crisis, the shale oil revolution, the initial wave of Covid-19.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

What’s Next: U.S. shale oil yields large amounts of gasoline but relatively little diesel.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

Harold Hamm, the founder and chairman of the fracking and shale oil company Continental Resources, whom Trump effusively praised during the session, demurred when Trump asked him if Continental would plunge into the Venezuela market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

Another host, Harold G. Hamm, the executive chair and founder of Continental Resources, is one of the pioneers of the shale oil boom that turned the United States into the world’s largest crude exporter.

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024

I have established a goal of 1 million barrels of synthetic fuels and shale oil production per day by 1985 together with an incentive program to achieve it.

From State of the Union Address by Gerald R. Ford