 Queensland Energy Resources Limited was formed in February 2004, when it acquired the assets of the Stuart Oil Shale Project from receivers of the project's former developer, Southern Pacific Petroleum N.L.On 21 July 2004, QER announced that the plant would be shut down for economic and environmental reasons.From 2005 to 2007, oil shale from its deposits were tested in a pilot plant facility in Rifle, Colorado owned by Shale Technologies.