County at a Glance - Marion

History^1,2: Created in 1842 from parts of Monongalia and Harrison counties and named in honor of General Francis Marion, of Revolutionary War fame, known in history as "The Swamp Fox."
Area (square miles)¹: 313.55
County Seat¹: Fairmont
Population (1990)¹: 57,249
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: coal, aluminum sheets, fluorescent lamps, sealed-beam lamps, electric power, hydraulic pump, motor parts, livestock, hay and grain, dairying, poultry, computer software application and design, computer hardware manufacturing and other high technology industries, natural gas
Public Recreation Areas³: Prickett's Fort State Park, Valley Falls State Park

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 4,317,089,326 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 702,779,652 tons
      Estimated Loss = 702,779,652 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 1,455,765,011 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production =  3,639,547 tons
         Production from Underground Mines = 3,610,698 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 12)
            Conventional =         0 tons
              Continuous = 1,226,859 tons
                Longwall = 2,383,839 tons
                   Other =         0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines =        28,849 tons
         (Number of Surface Mines = 4)


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 = 362,286 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 236
      Average Production = 1,535.1 Mcf

   Oil Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 5,228 barrels (bbl)
      Well Count = 23
      Average Production = 227.3 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 a cursory quality check by the WVGES

Page last revised: November 17, 2005

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