Geochemical characterizations of the Moroccan Rif bituminous rocks

Energy is today the fundamental engine of the economy in the world. Countries are closely dependent on them for their development in various fields such as industry, infrastructure, trade, transport ... On an industrial scale, the oil situation in the world such as deposit discoveries, peak production and price developments hampers the research, development and exploitation of oil shale. But in the inevitable fact that the oil supply is limited, humanity will face the problem of the rapid growth of energy consumption and its demand in the international market. In this context and with the peak of oil production approaching, oil shale is becoming more and more a source of alternative energy to oil. The existence of large deposits of oil shale relatively well distributed around the globe, can possibly contribute a substantial part in world energy. Oil shale supply is available in 50 countries and global oil reserves in shale are estimated at more than 4.786 billion barrels.