1 80 Reviews — The Neplieline Rocks of Sekukuniland. 



Australasia, the latter those of Europe, certain countries in Asia, 

 Morocco, 'the United States, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. In 

 Scotland the shale industry has had a somewhat chequered career, 

 being influenced in the past by the extent of importation of crude 

 oil and sodium nitrate from the New World ; the war failed to 

 stabilize the industry as anticipated, and latterly decline has been 

 'rapid, largely due to abnormal economic conditions, and not, as 

 frequently stated, to the exhaustion of raw material. The recent 

 amalgamation of the companies concerned and their union with 

 one of the premier oil companies have preserved the industry from 

 extinction, the intention being to satisfy the capacity of the refineries 

 by supplementing with crude oil from extraneous sources. The 

 Norfolk shale field is in process of development, and a concise 

 account of the occurrence and of the products obtainable from the 

 shale is given here. Other prospects in the British Isles are not very 

 hopeful. In South Africa, the Wakkerstroom district is being 

 actively exploited at the moment, a test yield of 31 gallons of oil 

 per ton of shale from one locality being an encouraging feature. 

 Mennell has frequently reported on the Rhodesian resources of oil 

 shale, while in Canada the Mackenzie River region offers possibilities 

 in this connexion in addition to its crude oil potentialities. New 

 South Wales is the largest producer of oil shale in Australia, the other 

 interesting occurrences being those of Tasmania and Queensland. 

 In Europe, the Esthonian shales are of both palseontological and 

 technical importance ; dry distillation of the material resulted in 

 the iproduction of 61 gallons of oil per ton, containing 20 per cent 

 light fraction. The deposits of Yugo-Slavia (at Alexinatz) are 

 valuable for their burning oil yielded on refining, while those of 

 France, Spain, and Germany are sufficiently known to preclude 

 further comment here. The resources of the United States are 

 immense, some fascinating figures being given by Alderson in the 

 work previously cited ; the present author confines himself to mere 

 statement of fact, though he omits reference to the difficulties met 

 with in, refining much of the shale hitherto tested. Finally, the 

 diseoV'ery of shale deposits in Uruguay is important, and may lead 

 to the<)pening up of a wide area in South America. 



A map showing the oil shale-bearing districts referred to in the 

 text is included, while a useful, though brief, bibliography is 

 appended. 



H. B. MiLNER. 



The 1!!CepheliNe Rocks of Sekukuniland. By S. J. Shand. 

 Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Africa, vol. xxiv, 1921. pp. 111-49, with 

 3 plates and 6 text-figures. 



THiE nepheiine-syenite body of Sekukuniland forms a plug or 

 stock infeaded into the red granite of the Bushveld laccolith, 

 and h^s an outcrop of from six to nine square miles, occupying a 



