County at a Glance - Braxton

History^1,2: Formed in 1836 from parts of Lewis, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties and named for Carter Braxton, Virginia statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The geographical center of the state is near the town of Sutton, Braxton County.
Area (square miles)¹: 519.70
County Seat¹: Sutton
Population (1990)¹: 12,998
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: lumber, natural gas, livestock, poultry, dairying, hay and grain
Public Recreation Areas³: Burnsville Lake, Elk River Wildlife Management Area, Sutton Lake

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 2,323,332,633 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 40,578,072 tons
      Estimated Loss = 40,578,072 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 1,121,088,245 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 692,792 tons
         Production from Underground Mines = 692,792 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 5)
            Conventional = 515,333 tons
              Continuous = 177,459 tons
                Longwall =       0 tons
                   Other =       0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines =           0 tons
         (Number of Surface Mines = 2)


Gas and Oil Facts and Figures5

   NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING DATA ARE PRELIMINARY VALUES--
   NOT ALL 1995 DATA HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND
   NOT ALL 1995 DATA HAVE BEEN QUALITY CHECKED.

   Gas Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 2,324,057 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 711
      Average Production = 3,268.7 Mcf

   Oil Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 3,107 barrels (bbl)
      Well Count = 42
      Average Production = 74.0 bbl

¹ Information Source = Counties in West Virginia Blue Book - 1995: D. E. Holmes (ed.), Chapman Printing, vol. 77, p. 731-846.

² Information Source = New Descriptive Atlas of West Virginia: 1933, Clarksburg Publishing Company, 64 p.

³ Information Source = Departmental, Statistical, and General Information in West Virginia Blue Book - 1995: D. E. Holmes (ed.), Chapman Printing, vol. 77, p. 953-1038.

⁴ Information Source = Statistical Section in Annual Report and Directory of Mines - 1995, West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training, July 1996, p. 23-66. [Note: Original Mineable Reserves from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES)]

⁵ Information Source = West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP); data have undergone cursory quality check by the WVGES

Page last revised: November 16, 2005

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