IHRDC Logo

Discover the IHRDC Energy Glossarybeta

Search or select a letter above to browse the glossary.

Shale

A fine-grained, fissile, detrital sedimentary rock formed by consolidation of clay- and silt-sized particles into thin, relatively impermeable layers. Certain shale formations (such as the Eagle Ford and Barnett) contain large amounts of oil and natural gas.