I think the technology for extracting oil from oil shale is jinxed by bad timing. This technology may be ready for prime time in 10-15 years but by then the moment for oil shale will have passed.
As long as it is just private capital being invested, I am fine with it.
Even if its not a world-beater, perhaps it can fill some niches - like in the case of Jordan that they mention.
One thing that they did not mention, it that although it might be energy intensive to extract the goods from oil shale, you could use nuclear reactors to power it, like they do with Canadian tar sands. So improvements in nuclear generation, among other possible technical innovations, might make oil shale more competitive.