Wanderlust World Wanderlust World West Virginia's economy and history are built on its mineral endowment.
#2 US producer (after Wyoming). 2022: 89M tons. Appalachian Basin — high-Btu, low-sulfur bituminous. Metallurgical coal (steel) = premium. Counties: Boone, Logan, McDowell, Wyoming, Raleigh. Decline: 1997 peak 180M tons; automation, gas competition, regulation.
#5 US marketed production (2022: 2.8 Tcf). Marcellus Shale (north), Utica Shale (deeper) — fracking boom since 2008. Wet gas (NGLs: ethane, propane) adds value. Pipelines: Mountain Valley, Atlantic Coast (cancelled), Rover.
Minor: ~2M barrels/yr (2022). Shallow conventional + emerging Utica oil window. Not a major producer.
| Mineral | Uses | Key Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Limestone | Cement, aggregate, flux, FGD scrubbers | Greenbrier, Monroe, Pendleton |
| Sandstone | Construction, glass, frac sand | Western counties |
| Shale/Clay | Brick, tile, cement, lightweight aggregate | Statewide |
| Sand & Gravel | Concrete, asphalt, road base | River valleys (Ohio, Kanawha, Monongahela) |
| Salt | Chemical, deicing, food | Kanawha Valley (brine) |
Mining (coal+gas+oil+nonfuel): $14B GDP (2022), 25,000 direct jobs, 60,000 indirect. Severance taxes fund state budget. Environmental legacy: AMD (acid mine drainage), subsidence, methane.