County at a Glance - Raleigh

History^1,2: Created in 1850 from the southern portion of Fayette County and named for Sir Walter Raleigh, the English adventurer and soldier.
Area (square miles)¹: 610.15
County Seat¹: Beckley
Population (1990)¹: 76,819
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: health, tourism, coal and coal-related products, timber, mining equipment, electronic parts, building blocks, cattle, potatoes, peppers, corn, strawberries, show horses
Public Recreation Areas³: Grandview Park, Little Beaver State Park, Sandstone Falls

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 4,283,368,282 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 824,284,555 tons
      Estimated Loss = 549,523,037 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 1,745,736,414 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 10,200,390 tons
         Production from Underground Mines = 9,397,801 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 33)
            Conventional =   112,607 tons
              Continuous = 8,655,404 tons
                Longwall =   629,790 tons
                   Other =         0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines =       802,589 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 = 4,101,728 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 540
      Average Production = 7,595.8 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: December 5, 2005

Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to webmaster.

Page created and maintained by:
            West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey
  Address:  Mont Chateau Research Center
            1 Mont Chateau Road
            Morgantown, WV  26508-8079
Telephone:  304-594-2331
      FAX:  304-594-2575
    Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday

Permission to reproduce this material is granted if acknowledgment is given to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey.