President Ilves opens the first new oil shale mine in 40 years

Feb 01, 2013

TALLINN – Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves opened on Thursday the Ojamaa oil shale mine in North East Estonia which is the first new oil shale mine opened in Estonia in 40 years, Eesti Paevaleht writes.

The Ojamaa oil shale mine belongs to the chemicals industry Viru Keemia Grupp (VKG). Its oil shale reserves are estimated at 58 million tons and operating period 15–17 years.

President Ilves acknowledged the 440 miners and engineers of the Ojamaa mine. VKG, which has more than 2,000 employees, is the largest Estonian oil shale processing company, which has its own mine, five oil shale processing factories and an energy company. A large part of the European cosmetics industry uses a chemical, produced of oil shale phenols in VKG, in making hair dyes.

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