County at a Glance - Mineral

History^1,2: Created in 1866 from Hampshire County and so named because of the mineral resources found there. Frontier forts were located in the county during the Indian Wars.
Area (square miles)¹: 330
County Seat¹: Keyser
Population (1990)¹: 26,697
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: coal, glass, lumber, fruit, hay and grain, livestock, dairying, buckwheat, maple sugar
Public Recreation Areas³: Bloomington Lake, Jennings Randolph Lake, Springfield Wildlife Management Area

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 809,834,066 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 43,055,679 tons
      Estimated Loss = 43,055,679 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 361,861,354 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 121,660 tons
         Production from Underground Mines =   0 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 1)
            Conventional = 0 tons
              Continuous = 0 tons
                Longwall = 0 tons
                   Other = 0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines = 121,660 tons
         (Number of Surface Mines =8)


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 = 55,134 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 17
      Average Production = 3,243.2 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 23, 2005

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