Hail to the shale

Lacking oil and gas deposits and eager to scale back its reliance on energy imports, Jordan is taking a chance on one unconventional resource it has in abundance. The kingdom has inked a $1.8 billion concession agreement with Karak International Oil (KIO), which will produce enough oil shale to meet more than half of the country’s fuel needs by 2026. The first of its kind for the Middle East and North Africa, the agreement could provide a model for energy self-sufficiency for countries with oil shale deposits.   Over the past five years, KIO, a subsidiary of British firm Jordan Energy and Mining Ltd (JEML), has been conducting feasibility studies at the Al Lajjun field, 110 kilometers south of Amman. In March, the company signed a deal with Jordan’s Natural Resources Authority for what will be the country’s largest oil shale extraction project. One of 26 identified deposits, the 35-square-kilometer field