Survey of Energy Resources 2007 Oil Shale Country Notes The
total demonstrated oil shale resource is estimated to be in the
region of 58 billion tonnes, of which about 24 billion barrels
of oil is recoverable. The deposits are spread through the
eastern and southern states of the country (Queensland, New
South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania), although
it is the eastern Queensland deposits that have the best
potential for economic development. Production from oil shale
deposits in southeastern Australia began in the 1860s, coming to
an end in 1952 when government funding ceased. Between 1865 and
1952 some 4 million tonnes of oil shale were processed. During
the 1970s and early 1980s a modern exploration programme was
undertaken by two Australian companies, Southern Pacific
Petroleum N.L. and Central Pacific Minerals N.L. (SPP/CPM). The
aim was to find high-quality oil shale deposits amenable to
open-pit mining operations in areas near infrastructure and
deepwater ports. The programme was success