Jordanian oil shale kerogen was studied by solvent extraction with chloroform and two mixed solvents - methanol/acetone/chloroform (M/A/C) and CS2/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (CS2/NMP). It was found that the extraction yield and the composition of the extracts are quite different in the case of different solvents. Such results suggest that Jordanian oil shale kerogen structure is characterized by three-dimensional networks cross-linked by covalent bonds and noncovalent bond intermolecular interactions. The nonpolar aliphatic and aromatic fractions are trapped or "protected" in these networks. The mixed solvents M/A/C and CS2/NMP have stronger ability to disrupt these noncovalent bond interactions and give higher extraction yields. This may explain why, as the extraction yield increases, the amount of nonpolar saturated and aromatic fractions also increases.

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