After coming across so many shale outcrops, particularly in the Pasquia Hills, I learned that the darker slabs contain the fossil fuel kerogen. On our trip to Rice River Canyon, I decided to grab a few dark pieces, put them under heat and see what happens.
Lighter? ... nothing... but with a camp stove? Well, something. After bits and chunks of the sedimentary rock started bursting off, I lowered the heat and eventually managed to get the rock to self-sustain combustion. The result was the overwhelming scent of burning rubber.
I'm not going to lie, I still want to experiment with this stuff. But unless you want your food to taste like a tire fire, you're better off using whatever fuel you have left.
Kerogen