Lack of uniformity of retorting operations on shales from various localities has made it difficult to separate the effects of retorting from those contributed by the nature of the oil shale. analyses of oils obtained from Colorado shale by various retorting methods and of oils from a number of countries have been published. These latter oils in general resulted from commercial retorting, so did not give information as to the range in product composition obtainable by different retorting methods or different operating conditions in the same retort. In the present investifation, oils obtained by retorting Paraiba Valley shale from Brazil in six experimental retorts have been analyzed. Comparison of selected properties with those on a similar series of Colorado oils affords an opportunity to distinguish between the effects of shale composition and retorting conditions.