The LOFRECO, which is an acronym for Low Front End Cost, Process is a true in situ oil extraction process designed specifically for areas where the shale beds are relatively thin and close to the surface. In this process, a pattern of blast holes is drilled from the surface, through the overburden, and into the oil shale bed. The holes are loaded with explosives and fired, using a carefully planned blast system. The blast results in a fragmented mass of oil shale with a high permeability. The void space in the fragmented zone comes from lifting the overburden and producing an uplift of the surface.