COORONGITE AND GENESIS OF OIL SHALE

Because of the stability and inertness of oil shale kerogen, the problem of its constitution is still far from solution. It is now generally accepted that many oil shales originated in algal growth. In some cases, the alga responsible for a particular oil shale has been recognised and, for all practical purposes, identified with a present-day equivalent. In the case of the Kamilaroi torbanites, the extant species in colonial form gives rise to a peculiar rubbery material called Coorongite. The nature and occurrence of Coorongite is discussed. Because Coorongite is believed to be an intermediate in the formation of torbanite, a study of its chemistry should be particularly helpful in understanding the constitution of kerogen itself. Like kerogen, Coorongite resists, but to a lesser degree, more conventional methods of chemical analysis and new techniques have been used to elucidate the problems of constitution. The general pattern revealed by mass spectrometry, pyroohromatography and other methods shows a structural backbone of long alkyi chains terminated variously by oarboxylie acid, ester and ion functions with, probably, hydroxyl and peroxide groups along the chain. It is postulated that some of the cross links of the macromolecule are ether oxygen. Chemical studies support these contentions. © 1969.