The invention relates to a process for the production of binders by calcinating mineral raw material mixtures. In order to improve the process and the quality of the binders, it is proposed that oil shale and/or oil sand fills are converted by targeted agglomeration into particles of a certain size and consistency, wherein the water content for the mechanical stabilization of the agglomerate is adjusted to less than 25 percent and the agglomerates are calcinated to form binders at temperatures between 800 and 1500 DEG C under reductive conditions over the entire process with a Lambda value < l in a vertical shaft furnace with updraft gasification. The binding properties are adjusted by the targeted addition of CaO-containing substances and/or existing sulfur fractions of the oil sands and/or oil shales are bound by means of the CaO that is present in the starting material and/or added.