County at a Glance - Mercer

History^1,2: Established in 1837 from parts of Giles and Tazewell counties (Virginia) and named in honor of General Hugh Mercer, of Revolutionary War fame.
Area (square miles)¹: 423.91
County Seat¹: Princeton
Population (1990)¹: 64,980
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: coal, lumber manufacturing, hay and grain, dairying, livestock, poultry
Public Recreation Areas³: Camp Creek State Forest, Camp Creek State Park, Pinnacle Rock State Park, Pipestem Resort State Park

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 506,829,312 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 204,240,101 tons
      Estimated Loss = 136,160,067 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 99,857,486 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 0 tons
      Number of Underground Mines = 0
      Number of Surface Mines = 0


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 = 274,378 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 49
      Average Production = 5,599.6 Mcf

   Oil Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 0 barrels (bbl)
      Well Count = 0
      Average Production = 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 a cursory quality check by the WVGES

Page last revised: November 17, 2005

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