[Slapshot68]

I’m curious...what’s the process (if any) by which oil shale companies replenish the land after extraction?

[SAJ]

Replenish what? Have you ever seen the WY-UT-CO shale areas? Mostly a moonscape to start with.

[thackney]

Some of the methods like Shell's are in-situ.

It is accomplished by drilling, below ground heating and pumping. The top side is essentially undisturbed.

Raytheon has a similar method using radio frequency technology to release the oil without removing the shale.

http://www.shell.com/home/content/usa/aboutshell/shell_businesses/upstream/locations_projects/onshore/mahogany/dir_mahogany.html

http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/feature/oil_shale06/