In the future, oil shale mining conditions will worsen and environmental taxes will be increased. Higher calorific value and more homogeneous material are required for more effective usage of boilers and generator units in power stations and oil plants. The solution for the mining industry is related to the optimal usage of mineral and technological resources, utilizing the best available techniques and modelling and visualization of mining impacts for explaining the changes in technology to the influenced parties. The main challenges for technologies in the future are related to the mining in environmentally or socially sensitive areas. One of the solutions could be utilizing selective mining and backfilling. Related tests have shown good results and show a promising future for sustainable oil shale mining.

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Oil shale mining and processing industry in Estonia produce a wide assortment of waste could be considered as available fill materials. Waste rock which is not usable in civil engineering and road building may be used for backfilling underground mines. Paste fills technology, which has several benefits, requires careful selection of oil shale waste rock aggregates and other carbonate stones. The laboratory tests and theoretical investigations were made for determination the applicability of limestone and dolostone aggregates as backfill material. It enables to determine the feasible parameters of aggregates from oil shale mining waste rock. Analysis showed that limestone aggregates of Estonian oil shale mines suit best for backfill technology in conditions.

Several extraction technologies have been used for mining oil shale in Estonia. The quality and properties of the raw material for fuel and oil depend directly on the initial geological properties of the mineral resource. In case of kukersite oil shale in Estonia the calorific value, oil yield and limestone content vary. The paper considers possibilities for selective mining of kukersite oil shale based on tests and theoretical studies. Analyses show that selective and high selective mining extraction methods have a potential for increasing oil shale yield and decreasing losses.