County at a Glance - Upshur

History^1,2: Formed in 1851 from Randolph, Barbour, and Lewis counties and named for Abel Parker Upshur, distinguished statesman and jurist of Virginia.
Area (square miles)¹: 354.86
County Seat¹: Buckhannon
Population (1990)¹: 22,867
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: lumber, coal, natural gas, clothing, livestock, dairying, strawberries, corn
Public Recreation Areas³: French Creek Game Farm, Stonecoal Lake Wildlife Management Area

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 3,554,551,754 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 82,036,459 tons
      Estimated Loss = 82,036,459 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 1,695,239,418 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 1,680,177 tons
         Production from Underground Mines = 1,123,379 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 7)
            Conventional =         0 tons
              Continuous = 1,123,379 tons
                Longwall =         0 tons
                   Other =         0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines =       556,798 tons
         (Number of Surface Mines = 13)


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 = 5,295,874 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 1,471
      Average Production = 3,600.2 Mcf

   Oil Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 14,035 barrels (bbl)
      Well Count = 135
      Average Productiom = 104.0 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