Shale oil

Viru Keemia Grupp’s main product is shale oil (heavy fuel oil) made from oil shale.

While the majority of the production is oriented towards export, shale oil is commonly used in drying facilities, asphalt plants, industrial and small boilers.

Shale oil’s advantages over residual fuel oil are its low viscosity, low sulphur content and low pour point. Shale oil mixes well with conventional fuel oils and therefore facilitates the creation of products with precise specifications. Owing to its low sulphur content, low viscosity and low pour point, shale oil is mainly used to improve the qualities of heavy fuel oil, e.g. as a marine fuel additive, as a raw material for the chemical industry, and for heating boilers and industrial furnaces. Shale oil produced by VKG is used in Estonia as fuel for boilers and industrial furnaces, but most of the production is exported.