VIRGIMA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

PUBLICATION 142

Coal, Oil and Gas, and Industrial and Metallic Minerals Industries in Virginia, 1994

Palmer C. Sweet and Jack E. Nolde

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS AND ENERGY DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES Stanley S. Johnson, State Geologist

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA r996 VIRGINIA DTVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

PUBLICATION 142

Coal, Oil and Gaso and Industrial and Metallic Minerals Industries in Virginia, 1994

Palmer C. Sweet and Jack E. Nolde

COMMONWBALTH OF VIRGIMA DEPARIMENT OF MINES, MINERALS AND EIVERGY DTVISION OF MINERAL RESOI.JRCES Stanley S. Johnson, State Geologist

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA r996 DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS AND ENERGY RICHMOND. VIRGINIA O. Gene Dishner, Director

DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA Stanley S. Johnson, State Creologist and Division Director

STAIIF Kay T. Hasenauer, Executive Secretary

ECONOMIC MINERALS AND ENERGY SECTION SPATIAL DATA AND EASTERN GEOLOGY Palmer C. Sweet, Section Head Ian J. Duncan, Section Head John D. Marr, Jr., Geologist Senior C. R. Berquist, Jr., Geologist Senior Jack E. Nolde, Geologist Senior Elizabeth V. M. Campbell, Geologist Senior Roy S. Sites, Geologist Senior Nick H. Evans, Geologist Senior David B. Spears, Geologist Senior William S. Henika, Geologist Senior Michael L. Upchurch, Geologist Senior Karen K. Hostettler, Geologist Senior

SOUTHWEST MINERALS AND GEOLOGY SECTION PI]BLICATIONS AND WESTERN GEOLOGY SECTION Alfred R. Taylor, Section Head Eugene K. Rader, Section Head and Editor James A. Lovett, Geologist Senior David A. Hubbard, Jr., Geologist Senior William W. Whitlock, Geologist Senior D. Allen Penick, Jr., Geologist Senior Vernon N. Morris, Cartographic Drafter Assistant SALES AND STJPPORT SECTION Gerald P. Wilkes, Geologist Senior Delores J. Green, Office Manager Rlwin W. Marshall, Geologist Technician Paige S. Roach, Store Operations Supervisor Antoinette Arsic, Office Services Specialist

Portions of this publication may be quoted or copied if credit is given to the authors, the Division of Mineral Resources, and the Virginia Deparrnent of Mines, Minerals and Energy. CONTENTS

n

E^tr-^a+ 1

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure

l. Total value of mineral production in Virgini4 1970-1994...... I 2. Trend ofcoal 3. Trend of oil and gas condensate production and value, I97U1994...... 3 4. Trend in natural gas production and value, 5. Trend of clay material production and value, 1970-1994 '...... -. 5 6. Schist pit, near Winterpock, Chesterfield County, of Riverside Brick and Supply Company ...... '...... -.-.- 5 7. Trend of sanO and gravel production and value, 1970-1994.... '...... -. 6 8. Plant of Custom Sand and Gravel, south of Providence Forge, in Charles City County ...... 6 9. Trend of crushed stone production and value, 197G1994 ...... -.-.- 7 10. Crushed granite quarry and plant (Jack Stone) of Tarmac America,Inc., Dinwiddie County ...... '...... 7 11. Dimension diabase facility of New England Stone, Culpeper County ...... -.-.7 12. Trend in lime

TABLES

l. Mineral 2. Summry of metaUnonmetal mining by commodity, lgg4 ...... ll 3. Summary of metaUnonmetal mining by county/city, lgg4 ...... ll 4. Summary of coal mine production in Virginia,L994 ...... 13 5. Summaryof coalmininginVirginiabycoalbed, 1994...... 13 6. Summary of coal mine employment in Virginia, 1994...... 15 7. Oil and gas condensate production by county and company, lg94 ...... 16 8. Natural gas production by county and company, lg94 ...... 16 9. Drilling and completion activity 10. Total footage 11. Wells drilled and completed COAL, OIL AND GAS, AND INDUSTRIAL AI{D METALLIC MINERALS INDUSTRIES IN YIRGINIL, 1994

Palmer C. Sweet and Jack E. Nolde

INTRODUCTION Table 1. Mineral resource production in Virginia, 1991.

The total value of mineral production in Virginia in 1994 MINERAL COMMODITY QUANITY VALI'E was almost l.70-billion dollars (Table 1; Figure 1). About (thousands) l.08-billion dollars resulted from coal sales, a 1.01 percent Clay, ------*----- short tons 959,001 $3,252 increase in value from the 1993 figure of 1.O7-billion dollars. Coal Oituninous), ($28.$/ton) -thousand shut tons --- 38,805 $1,086541 About 108.3-million dollars was produced from the sale of Cem stonesr ------NA w crude oil, gas condensate, and natural gas, with the remaining Lime, ------thousand short tons- 742 $40,179 502.3-million dollars from production of industrial rocks and Nanral gas, ($2.15/cu.ft.).----milrion cubic feet----- 50,259 $108,058 minerals (Table 2 and 3). This represents a |2.7-million dol- Perroleum (crude)r($14.90/bl) -----42-gallon banels ---- t6,76ir $?A9 lar decrease for 1994, when compared with 1993 statistics. Sand and Gravel, -----thousand short tolrs ------8,055 $33,4{X) Natural gas production was up 35.6 percent, while petroleum Stone: production was up almost 38.3 percent. The value of crushed Crushed, ------thousand shon tons------56.725 8327253 stone was up almost 7.23 percent and the value of sand and C.ombined value ofcement (pordand $54,666,000), ' gravel was up 1.03 percent. On a slight decline was the pro- clay (firller's earth), dinension stone, feldspar, gypsulu duction of clay materials and lime. industrial sand and gra.vel iron oxide pignena (crude), The number ofproducers, and the number ofprocessing kyanite, sulfrr, and vermiculite, )o( $%,22r plants remained constant during the year for cement, feld- spaf, gemstones, gypsum, industial sand, iron-oxide pigments, )o( i1,697,t72 kyanite, ornamental aggregate, sand and gravel, and vermicu- lite. NA Not available. XX Not applicable. Virginia led the nation in the production of kyanite; was W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. the only producer of a feldspar, mmketed as'Virginia aplite"; , Measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production and was one of three states mining vermiculite. Virginia also (includes consumption by producers) - from U.S. Bureau of Mines. ranked sixth in crushed stone production and 35th in the pro- , Virginia Departrnent of Mines, Minerals and Enerry duction of sand and gravel. Several mineral commodities, including lithium ca6onate, manganese, mica, perlite, phos- phate rock, and sulfur were imported for processing.

G 2,500 o=. = -l 2,OOO ct) lrl= F 1,500 o = ()o= 1,OOO -t <-l oLr- 500 lrl - -l o

YEAR

Figure l. Total value of mineral production in Virginia,ln0 - L994. VIRGIMA DIVTSION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

FT]EL COMMODITIES from the Ordovician Trenton Limestone and the gas conden- sate comes from the Mississippian Greenbrier Limestone (tsig COAL Lime"). Total natural gas production increased 35.6 percent, from Coal production in Virginia declined from 40.1 million 37,051,735 Mcf in 1993 from 1428 wells to 50,259,473 Mcf short tons in 1993 to 38.8 million short tons inl99[(Table 1), in 1994 from 1,470 wells (Table 8; Figure 4). Conventional a 3.24 percent decrease. Coal was produced from 422 sur- gas wells prodaced2l,927,657 Mcf from 978 wells,43.6 per- face and underground mines in the southwest Virginia cent of the total production. Coalbed methane wells produced coalfields in Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, 28,33 1,8 I 6 Mc f from 492 wells, 56.4 percent of the total pro- Tazewell, and Wise Counties (Figure 2). Total production duction in the Commonwealth. The average price paid to from32l underground mines was 29,434,576 short tons and Mrginia's natural gas producers in 1994 was $2.15 per Mcf. from 101 surface mines was9,370,668 short tons. Total value The market value forMrginia's natural gas was $108,057,870, was $1,086 million; average mine price was $28.00 per ton. an increase of 127.3 percent from 1993. Tables 4 through 6 show production data by county, coal bed, type of mining method, and employment statistics. Almost Pennitting Activity 31.5 percent of the total production was from the pocahontas No. 3, Jawbone, and Dorchester coals. Overall permitting activity decreased. The Deparfinent Coal from Virginia is used for metallurgical purposes, of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Division of Gas and Oil, is- electrical power generation (steam coal), industrial purposes, sued 266 permits in 1994, a decrease of 48.8 percent from and residential heating. Most Virginia coal is contracted for 1993. Of these, 97 permits were issued to drill new coalbed export to overseas markets. This coal is exported through methane wells, 37 permits were for new conventional gas ports atHarnpton Roads in Virginiaand at Wilmington in North wells, and 83 permits were for facilities and pipeline con- Carolina. struction. The remaining 49 permits were for modifications (39), transfer (9), and waste disposal (1). OIL AND GAS Drilling Activity Crude oil and gas condensate production in Virginia to- t^d 16,766 barrels in 1994, which was a 38.3 percent in- ln 1994,149 holes were drilled in Virginia (Table 9). Of crease from the 1993 production of l2,l2}banels (Figure 3). the 149 wells drilled, 4l were drilled for conventional gas, The 1994 production of 16,766J7 barrels of which oil 103 were for coalbed methane, one was for waste disposal (6646.71barrels) and gas condensate (10,120.06 banels) had associated with coalbed methane operations, and four for un- a value of $249,825; average unit value was $14.90 per bar- derground storage. One-hundred and fifty-six wells were com- rel. Production was by seven companies from 54 wells in three pleted in 1994 including two conventional gas wells and six (Thble fields 7 ), the Ben Hur-Fleenorrown and Rose Hill in coalbed methane wells drilled during I 993. Of thes e, 42 were Lee County (crude oil) and the Roaring Fork in western Wise completed as conventional wells (26.9 Percent)(Table 9), 109 County (gas condensate). Most of the oil in Virginia comes were completed as coalbed methane wells (69.8 percent), four 1,600 50 6 6 1.400 45 =. c F-o 40 F- 5 1,200 E o-l 35 o 1,OOO -

Figure 2. Trend of coal production and value, 1970-1994. PIJBLICATION 142

70 2,400 65 6 2,200 lrl ct) ctr-l E 2,OOO ctr Elvllue co -l 1,AOO o-l o o 1,60() + PRODUCTION 45 <-, z.6 1,400 ct) 35 - € Q Q Sl S? o) o) - - = s5555b55BagBaatsaaaaaBEa.F-FF-F-F-F- YEAR Figure 3. Trend of oil and gas condensate production and value, InO-1994. 120 trll- trl E6 100 lJ- 5 45 C>E o-l ao 40 -t\@OrO_ <\t cr) <- u) <.c) 1\ co CD O Sl S? r-t\l--t\@@ - = ctr cD o, cD o, o, o) o) or ctt ct ct> aaaaaaaaaEaaa YEAR -F- Figure 4. Trend in natural gas production and value, 1970-1994.

were completed for underground storage (2.6 percent), and Buchanan CountY one for waste disposal (0.7 percent). Total footage drilled in 1994 was 4ffi,M1feet (Table 10), a 11.5 percent decrease Conventional wells: T\ree conventional gas wells were com- from 513,782 feet drilled in 1993. Of the 1994 total footage, pleted during 1994 with a total footage drilled of 15,434 ferlt 224,506 feet were for conventional wells, 218,415 feet were with an average depth drilled of 5,145 feet. Ashland Etplora- for coalbed methane wells, 16,165 feet were for underground tion, Inc. completed one development well in the Glick-Keen storage wells, and 1,355 feet were for waste disposal. In 1994, Mountain gas field with a total footage of 5,310 feet with an the average conventional gas well was drilled 5,475 feet and average depth of 5 ,3 I 0 feet. Columbia Natural Resources com- drilling depth for coalbed methane was 2,004 fent. The county pleted two-development wells during 1994 with a total footage with the most active natural gas and coalbed methane wells of l},M feet and an average depttr drilled of 5,062 feet in the drilled was Buchanan with 61, followed by Dickenson with Breaks-Haysi and Race Fork gas fields. Formation at total depth 46, and Wise with 37. Four wells were drilled in Scott County in the three wells is the Chattanooga Shale. Completion zones and one in Lee County. Completion zones ranged from the in the Columbia wells are the Chattanooga Shale, Berea Sand- Pennsylvanian Lee Formation to the Mississippian-Devonian stone, and Greenbrier Limestone. The Ashland well was com- Chattanooga Shale. Table I I provides data on the wells drilled pleted in the Berea Sandstone and Greenbrier Limestone. and/or completed in Virginiain 1994. VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOI,JRCES

Cmlbedmaharc wells: Fifu-seven coalbed metlrane wells were with a total depth of 1995 feet. Formation at total depth is the completed during l99t with a total footage of 109,515 feet; Pocahontas Formation. Gas production in the well is by com- average d€pth 1921 fet Of these, Consol., Inc. mmpleted 20 mingling of gas from coal beds and associated srata in the develqment wells with a total footage drilled of 4OJl2 fet; Lee and Pocahontas Formations. average depft 2,436 feet Consol., Inc. also completed one waste disposal well for fluids produced during theircoalbed methane Scott County operations. Island Creek Coal Company completed six development Undergrowtd Storage: The Eady Grove Gas S0orage Project wells and one exploratory well. The total development footage remained fully operational during 1994. Virginia Gas Com- was 12,323 feet; average depth 2,045 feet and the exploratory pany completed four development wells in the Early Grove well footage was 1,703 feet. Pocahontas Gas ParErership com- field. Total footage drilled was 16,165 feet; average depth pleted twenty-eight development wells with a total footage of 4,Ml fent. Formation at total depth is the Mississippian Price 5O,W2 feeq average depth 1,793 fwt Equitable Resources Ex- Formation. plorationcompleted two development wells during 1994. Total foot4ge &illed was 4,575 feet; average depth 2288 fexlr. TWo of Wise County the Equiable wells were drined to the Mississippian Bluestone Formation and the other 55 wells were drilled into the Pennsyl- Conventional wells: fuuitable Resources Exploration com- vanian Pocalpntas Forrnation. Fifty-six of tlre wells were com- pleted 29 development wells during 1994. TWo of these wells pleted in the Glick-Keen Mountain gas field. One was com- were drilled in 1993. Total footage drilled was 155,273 feet; pletedin theluckyBranch gas field andonein anunnamedgas average depth was 5334 feet. Nine of the wells were com- field in ttp Prater 7.5-minute quadrangle. Gas production in ttre pleted in the Nora gas field with a total footage of 50331 wells is by corymingling of gas from coal beds and associated feet; average depth wqs 5,603 feet. Ten wells were completed sfata in the ke and Pocalnnias Formations. in the Roaring Fork gas field with total footage of 56,226 feet; average depth 5,623 feet. Seven wells were completed Dickenson County in the High Knob gas field with total footage of 33,002 feet; average depth was 4,714 feet. The remaining three gas wells Conventional wells:Eight development and one exploratory had a total footage of 15,614 feet with an average depth of wells were completed during 1994. Equitable Resources Ex- 5,205 fert. Formation at total depth in all of the wells is the ploration completed six development wells in the Nora gas Chattanooga Shale. field. Toal footage drilled in these wells was 28,652 fent; average depth 4,775 feet. Formation at total depth in the six Coalbed methane wells: Eqaitable Resources Exploration wells is the Chattanooga Shale. One well was completed in completed 12 development wells with a total footage of 30,9N the Berea Sandstone, one in the Berea Sandstone and Price feet; average depth was 2,578 feet. Four of the wells were Formation, three were completed in the Berea Sandstone and completed in the Nora gas field with a total footage of 10,929 Chattanooga Shale and one well was not stimulated. feet; average depthwas2,l32fet The remaining eight wells were completed in the Roaring Fork gas field. Total footage Coalbed rnethane wells: \aitable Resources Exploration drilled in the Roaring Fork field was 20,01 I feefi average depth completd thirty-eight development wells and one exploratory was 2501 feet. Gas production in the wells in the Nora gas well during 1994. Development footage was 88,075 feet; field is by commingling of gas from coal beds and associated average depth was 2,318 fent and exploratory footage was stata in the Lee and Pocahontas Formations. Gas production 2,379 fet. All the wells were completed in the Nora gas in the wells in the Roaring Fork gas field is by commingling field. Formation at total depth for eight of the wells is the of gas from coal beds and associated sftata in the ke and Mississip'pian Bluestone Forrnation and the remaining 30 wells Norton Formations. were in &e Pennsylvanian Pocahontas Formation. Gas pro- duction in the wells is by commingling of gas from coal beds and associated strata in the ke and Pocahontas Formations. INDUSTRIAL AND METALLIC COMMODITIES

Lee County CEMENT

Conventional wells: AMVEST Oil and Gas Company, Inc. Three companies produce cement in Virginia. One mil- drilled one exploratory well to 5,805 feet into the Wildcat Val- lion and twenty-five thousand short tons of portland cement ley Sandslone during 1994 in the Pennington Gap area. The were produced for a value of $54,666,000. Roanoke Cement Chananmga Shalg Price Formation, and Greenbrier Linrestone Company operales a plant in western Botetourt County and were stimulated. The well will be completed in early 195. manufactures portland cement from locally mined linpslone and shale and purchased iron scale from Electric Russell County $oanoke Steel Company. Calcium-and iron-aluminate-clinker is manu- ground Coalbed methane wells: \uitable Resources Exploration factured in five coal-fired kilns and into cement" Three- fourths of the cement is sold ready-mix companies. The colryleted onedevelopment well in the Skeen Creek gas field o PTJBLICATION 142

Riverton Corporation in Warren County produced masonry County, received approval during the year from the county to cement at its plant north of Front Royal. There, crushed lime- construct a plant to produce cat litter. stone (Edinburg Formation) is calcined, hydrated, and mixed with portland cement from out-of-state sources to produce the masonry cement sold to building supply dealers in Vir- ginia and surrounding states. LaFarge Calcium Aluminate, Inc. operated a cement manufacturing plant in the City of Chesapeake using imported cement clinker from France. The clinker was ground and made into six types of calcium alumi- nate cement at the facility. The advantages of this cement include rapid hardening, resistance to wear and conosion and it can be used under a wide range of .

CLAY MATERIALS

Residual and transported clay, weathered phyllite and schist, and shales are used as raw material to produce bricks in Virginia. About 959,001 short tons of clay (exclusive of fuller's earth) was produced in Virginia h 1994 (Figure 5). The annual total capacity of all brick plants in the Common- Figure 6. Schist pit, near Winterpock, wealth is almost one-half-billion bricks. The clay-material of Riverside Brick and Supply Company. industry in the western part of the state mines Paleozoic-age shale primarily to produce face-brick. Face-brick producers, CONSTRUCTION SAND AND GRAVEL in the central-to-eastern part of Virginia, mine Triassic-age shale and clay residuum in Orange and Prince William Coun- Construction sand and gravel producers accounted for ties. They also mine PreCambrian-age schist and residual 8.05 million short tons of material in 1994 at a value of more and transported clay in Amherst, Brunswick, Chesterfield, and than 33 million dollars (Figure 7). The value of construction Greensville Counties (Figure 6). sand and gravel production was 20.6 percent lower than in Lightweight aggregate is produced in Buckingham 1993. Sand and gravel is extracted from river terraces and and Pittsylvania Counties. Solite Corporation, in northern dredged from the rivers in eastern, central, and western Vir- Buckingham County, uses the Arvonia Slate to produce lighr ginia (Figure 8). Some construction sand is also produced aggregate. Virginia Solite Company mines Triassic- from Carroll, Craig, Rockbridge, Smyth, and Warren Coun- age shale southwest of Danville in Pittsylvania County, to ties in the western part of the State, in the Blue Ridge and produce a similar product. Valley and Ridge provinces. Large tonnages of construction BennettMineral Company, in the Walkerton areaof King sand and gravel, from southeast ofFredericksburg, are shipped and Queen County, in eastern Virginia, mines and processes by rail in the northern Virginia-Washington, D.C. market area. montmorillonite clay to produce an industrial and sanitary A large portion of the production by the Tidewater Quarries, absorbent. The facility uses wood waste as a fuel to dry the Inc. and Tarmac Mid Atlantic, Inc., near Richmond is barged clay in a rotary kiln. Virginia Clay Co., Inc., in King William down the James River to the Norfolk area. Shipments are 10 2.5 6 o-. 2 F- E.6a F _I oT ct) oo6-l 1.5 z. =7 o o _.1 = -.| -t 1 = =4LIJ o-. -_.1 oF E} vnuue o.5 o:> =2 + PRODUCTION oE CL o <\t (D rJ) (O Cr, F 6r S oo cO co) @ q) q) qt q) o)r- o)-F- F-o, at) at) (t) o,r.- o,F- r.-o) r-(t) 6@ 6cO 6cct 6cO @6 6 d,@ cD ct cD cr,€D -o) ct o, =Fct) YEAR Figure 5. Trend of clay material production and value, 1970-1994. PTJBLICATION I42

Riverton Corporation in Warren County produced masonry County, received approval during the year from the county to cement at its plant north of Front Royal. There, crushed lime- construct a plant to produce cat litter. stone (Edinburg Formation) is calcined, hydrated, and mixed with potland cement from out-of-state sources to produce the masonry cement sold to building supply dealen in Vir- ginia and surrounding states. LaFarge Calcium Aluminate, Inc. operated a cement manufacturing plant in the City of Chesapeake using imported cement clinker from France. The clinker was ground and made into six types of calcium alumi- nate cement at the facility. The advantages of this cement include rapid hardening, resistance to wear and corrosion and it can be used under a wide range of temperatures.

CLAY MATERIALS

Residual and transported clay, weathered phyllite and schist, and shales are used as raw material to produce bricks in Virginia. About 959,001 short tons of clay (exclusive of fuller's earth) was produced in Virginia in 1994 (Figure 5). The annual total capacity of all brick plants in the Common- wealth is almost one-half-billion bricks. The clay-material of Riverside Brick and Supply Company. industry in the western part of the state mines Paleozoic-age shale primarily to produce face-brick. Face-brick producers, CONSTRUCTION SAND AND GRAVEL in the central-to-eastern pan of Virginia, mine Triassic-age shale and clay residuum in Orange and Prince William Coun- Construction sand and gravel producen accounted for ties. They also mine PreCambrian-age schist and residual 8.05 million short tons of material in 1994 at a value of more and transported clay in Amherst, Brunswick, Chesterfield, and than 33 million dollars (Figure 7). The value of construction Greensville Counties (Figure 6). sand and gravel production was 20.6 percent lower than in Lightweight aggregate is produced in Buckingham 1993. Sand and gravel is extracted from river terraces and and Pittsylvania Counties. Solite Corporation, in northern dredged from the rivers in eastern, cenftal, and western Vtr- Buckingham County, uses the Arvonia Slate to produce light- ginia (Figure 8). Some construction sand is also produced weight aggregate. Virginia Solite Company mines Triassic- from Carroll, Craig, Rockbridge, Smyth, and Warren Coun- age shale southwest of Danville in Pittsylvania County, to ties in the western part of the State, in the Blue Ridge and produce a similar product. Valley and Ridge provinces. Large tonnages ofconstruction Bennett Mineral Company, in the Walkerton area of King sand and gravel, from southeast ofFredericksburg, are shipped and Queen County, in eastern Virginia, mines and processes by rail in the northern Virginia-Washington, D.C. market area. montmorillonite clay to produce an industrial and sanitary A large portion of the production by the Tidewater Quarries, absorbent. The facility uses wood waste as a fuel to dry the Inc. and Tarmac Mid Atlantic, Inc., near Richmond is barged clay in a rotary kiln. Virginia Clay Co., [nc., in King William down the James River to the Norfolk area. Shipments are 10 2.5 6 ol- 6a 2 t- 4E __J o o-T -ct) o6 1.5 oz. o=7 =_J = -l 1 = u-l o =4 t- =_l o El vRlue o-5 o- =2 + o PRODUCTION o-E, o O 6.1 t\ @ CD c) <\I

16 ct) 14 == CT)^50 |_ G 12 l-- _l o doo ct)- o 10 z. == o oso _J -J _I -J ilzo= o=-. - X} vRtuE t-- )-t4 o to + PRODUCTION o- E.o o_ I:-S!SD.F\@o)C> <\.1 . F- r- l.- F- r- r- r- r- r- oo q) oo co @ @ co co dr @ o, o) cD cD 0) o) ct o) o) o) ct o) o) it) b) ct o,- o, o) o) o) cD cD cD o, o, o)- cD o) ct) YEAR

Figure 7. Trend ofsand and gravel production and value, 1970-1994.

also made by rail and truck to the western part of the Com- crete aggregate, asphalt stone, and agricultural application. monwealth. Construction sand (concrete and masonry) is also Mine safety dust is produced in southwest Virginia from lime- produced from operations that crush and process sandstone. stone. Safety dust is used in coal mines to coat the roof, walls, and floor to prevent coal dust explosions. The safety dust should contain less than 5 percent SiO, and 100 percent should pass 20 mesh, with 70 percent passing minus 200 mesh. Sev- eral operations also market finely-ground dolomite and lime- stone for use as a filler material. Shale is excavated in Frederick and Rockingham Coun- ties for use in local roadstone and fill material. Sandstone and quartzite are quarried in Canoll, Culpeper, Pittsylvania, Rockbridge, and Wythe Counties forproduction of roadstone, concrete aggregate, asphalt stone, and manufactured fine ag- gregate. Granite, gneiss, diabase, slate, and marble are quarried in the central part of Virginia (Figure 10). Major uses of these materials are for roadstone, concrete aggregate, and asphalt stone. The Solite Corporation crushes slate for lightweight aggregate near Arvonia in Buckingham County. LeSueur- Richmond Slate Corporation increased production of crushed Figure 8. Plant of Custom Sand and Gravel, along the slate, as a by-product ofdimension slate operations, for local Chickahominy River, south of Providence Forge, in Charles highway construction. Appomattox Lime Company, Inc. City County. mines marble (Mt. Athos Formation) near Oakville in Appomattox County for agricultural lime. CRUSHED STONE Fines produced at granite quarries in the Petersburg and Red Oak Granites, in the southern part of Virginia have been Almost fifty-seven million tons of crushed stone includ- used for low-grade fertilizer. Chemical analyses of these gra- ing limestone, dolomite, sandstone, quartzite, granite, gneiss, nitic materials from Brunswick and Nottoway Counties in the diabase, basalt, greenstone, slate, "Virginia aplite," and marble, southern Piedmont province, show a K,O (potash) content was produced in Virginia in 1994 (Figure 9). Virginia's higher than 10 percent. Potassium-aluminum feldspars (or- crushed stone was valued at more than 327 million dollars thoclase and microcline), common in igneous and metamor- and it was the sixth leading producer in the United States. phic rocks, release potassium upon weathering. Additional Crushed stone production figures for 1994 in Virginia were uses for these fines are for roads, bedding for concrete pipe, 5.3 percent higher than the final figures for 1993. and for warning tracks for baseball fields, etc. Producers of limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, and qnartzite are in the Valley and Ridge and Appalachian pla- DIMENSION STONE teau provinces in the western part of the Commonwealth. prin- cipal end uses for these commodities were for roadstone. con- Slate, diabase, quartzite, and soapstone were quarried for VIRGINIA DryISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

16 ct) 14 ct)^50 E. F 4 12 otr -t140 o 10 (t)- o-. oso=. _l _l _l -t ilzo= o=== _t- El vrlue F >4 c) to + PRODUCTION o- E.o o_ 9-9vSrr.sflo(OF\@cDCl <\r t.- l-\ |-- r\ F- r- F- F- @ @@@ aocococo€@cto)o)0)o, CD O) O) g) cr) ct c') O) it) it 6 O,- O, O, 0) o) o) o) cD cD cD cD- cD o) o) YEAR Figure 7. Trend ofsand and gravel production and value, 1970-1994. also made by rail and truck to the western part of the Com- crete aggregate, asphalt stone, and agricultural application. monwealth. Construction sand (concrete and masonry) is also Mine safety dust is produced in southwest Virginia from lime- produced from operations that crush and process sandstone. stone. Safety dust is used in coal mines to coat the roof, walls, and floor to prevent coal dust explosions. The safety dust should contain less than 5 percent SiO, and l00percent should pass 20 mesh, with 70 percent passing minus 200 mesh. Sev- eral operations also market finely-ground dolomite and lime- stone for use as a filler material. Shale is excavated in Frederick and Rockingham Coun- ties for use in local roadstone and fill material. Sandstone and quartzite are quarried in Carroll, Culpeper, Pittsylvania, Rockbridge, and Wythe Counties forproduction of roadstone, concrete aggregate, asphalt stone, and manufactured hne ag- gregate. Granite, gneiss, diabase, slate, and marble are quarried in the central part of Virginia (Figure 10). Major uses of these materials are for roadstone, concrete aggregate, and asphalt stone. The Solite Corporation crushes slate for lightweight aggregate near Arvonia in Buckingham County. LeSueur- Richmond Slate Corporation increased production of crushed slate, as a by-product of dimension slate operations, for local highway construction. Appomattox Lime Company, Inc. mines marble (Mt. Athos Formation) near Oakville in Appomattox County for agricultural lime. CRUSHED STONE Fines produced at granite quarries in the Petersburg and Red Oak Granites, in the southern part of Virginia have been Almost fifty-seven million tons of crushed stone includ- used for low-grade fertilizer. Chemical analyses of these gra- ing limestone, dolomite, sandstone, quartzite, granite, gneiss, nitic materials from Brunswick and Nottoway Counties in the diabase, basalt, greenstone, slate, "Virginia aplite," and marble, southern Piedmont province, show a KrO (potash) content was produced in Virginia in 1994 (Figure 9). Virginia's higher than l0 percent. Potassium-aluminum feldspars (or- crushed stone was valued at more than 327 million dollars thoclase and microcline), common in igneous and metamor- and it was the sixth leading producer in the United States. phic rocks, release potassium upon weathering. Additional Crushed stone production figures for 1994 in Virginia were uses for these fines are for roads, bedding for concrete pipe, 5.3 percent higher than the final hgures for 1993. and for warning tracks for baseball helds, etc. Producers of limestone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, and quartzite are in the Valley and Ridge and Appalachian pla- DMENSION STONE teau provinces in the western part of the Commonwealth. prin- cipal end uses for these commodities were for roadstone, con- Slate, diabase, quartzite, and soapstone were quarried for PUBLICATION 142

70 6 -. 609F ct)E 300 500 T -l o-l ct) o 250 406 o 200 = -l 30=-l -.| 150 z. =LLI 20Fo _l::) 4 100 C) :> - 50 10I o-E. o o O 6J

r$il trst$R $I0ss --$rsw iffi*$'

$$xR:[tSTS$ $Y * s$$m$lA $Ytlt,IH tN$, t $$$$r [$

Figure 10. Crushed granite quarry and plant (Jack Stone) of Figure 1 l. Dimension diabase facility of New England Stone, Tarmac America, Inc., Dinwiddie County. Culpeper County.

dimension stone in the Piedmont province in 1994. Slate was ItsLDSPAR the leading type of dimension stone quarried, as to cubic feet and value; LeSueur-Richmond Slate Corporation mines slate The Feldspar Corporation, which U.S. Silica Corporation from two quarries in the Arvonia area of Buckingham County. acquired for $5.5 million in November 1993, operates a mine Arvonia slate production dates from the late 1700s when slate and plant near Montpelier in Hanover County in east-central was quarried for use as roofing shingles for the state capital in Virginia. They produce a feldspar-rich material marketed as Richmond. Slate producers supply the building trade with a 'Virginia aplite," which they sell to the glass industry. The variety ofproducts ranging from material for exterior appli- "aplite" improves the work-ability of the molten glass and im- cations, such as roofing shingles and for flooring tile, hearths parts a chemical stability to the finished glassware. Feldspar is and sills. Diabase is produced by New England Stone in mined from medium-to coarse-grained meta-anorthosite by open southern Culpeper County for use as monument stone (Fig- pit methods. The rock is trucked to the plant next to the mine ure 1l). Quartzite, used as flagging material, was extracted for crushing, gnnding, classifying, and drying. After process- from the Mower Quarry in Fauquier County, north of ing, the aplite is stored in silos. Gravity removes Warrenton. The new Alberene Stone Company, Inc. began clay minerals. Electrostatic and magnetic processes remove the quarrying soapstone at Alberene in Nelson County in 1988. heavy minerals (ilmenite, rutile, and sphene) in the feldspar. They opened a new quarry site in late 1989 in Albemarle These minerals contain titanium and were stockpiled until the County, just north of the Alberene site. Their products in- early 1980s, but are cunently being placed in settling ponds. clude soapstone fireplaces, fireplace facings, wood stoves, The processed feldspar is shipped by truck and rail to markets in cooking ware, and other products made of solid soapstone. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia. PUBLICAIION 142

400 70 6 350 609-. ct) F tT. 4 300 __J soo 1'- @ O) O <\.1 CD : rr) (O F- @ O) O

r$il silstr,$B $I!Ng

$SN}IATF$ $Y SE$RGIA STONE IN$. t sss$$ [$

Figure 10. Crushed granite quarry and plant (Jack Stone) of Figure I 1. Dimension diabase facility of New England Stone, Thrmac America, Inc., Dinwiddie County. Culpeper County.

dimension stone in the Piedmont province in 1994. Slate was FELDSPAR the leading type of dimension stone quarried, as to cubic feet and value; LeSueur-Richmond Slate Corporation mines slate The Feldspar Corporation, which U.S. Silica Corporation from two quarries in the Arvonia area of Buckingham County. acquired for $5.5 million in November 1993, operates a mine Arvonia slate production dates from the late 1700s when slate and plant near Montpelier in Hanover County in east-central was quarried for use as roofing shingles for the state capital in Virginia. They produce a feldspar-rich material marketed as Richmond. Slate producers supply the building trade with a 'Virginia aplite," which they sell to the glass industry. The variety of products ranging from material for exterior appli- "aplite" improves the work-ability of the molten glass and im- cations, such as roohng shingles and for flooring tile, hearths parts a chemical stability to the finished glassware. Feldspar is and sills. Diabase is produced by New England Stone in mined from medium-to coarse-grained meta-anorthosite by open southern Culpeper County for use as monument stone (Fig- pit methods. The rock is trucked to the plant next to the mine ure 11). Quartzite, used as flagging material, was extracted for crushing, grinding, classifying, and drying. After process- from the Mower Quarry in Fauquier County, north of ing, the aplite is stored in silos. Gravity concenffation removes Warrenton. The new Alberene Stone Company, Inc. began clay minerals. Electrostatic and magnetic processes remove the quarrying soapstone at Alberene in Nelson County in 1988. heavy minerals (ilmenite, rutile, and sphene) in the feldspar. They opened a new quilry site in late 1989 in Albemarle These minerals contain titanium and were stockpiled until the County, just north of the Alberene site. Their products in- early 1980s, but are cunently being placed in settling ponds. clude soapstone fireplaces, fireplace facings, wood stoves, The processed feldspar is shipped by truck and rail to markets in cooking ware, and other products made of solid soapstone. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia. VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

In Amherst County, feldspar is marketed as aggregate at INDUSTRIAL SAND the Piney River Quarry of the W.W. Boxley Company, Blue Ridge Stone Corporation. The company stockpiles the fines Unimin Corporation produces glass sand near Gore in that result from the crushing of the feldspar. In the past, feld- Frederick County from the Ridgely Sandstone of Devonian- spar was mined from several pegmatite bodies in the pied- agg. CED Enterprises, in Frederick County, recrystallizes mont province including those pegmatites in Amelia and purchased sand in arotary kiln to produce cristobalite, which Bedford Counties. is sized and bagged on the site. The product is marketed as a Clay and silt, with a high percentage of kaolinite and fine grit, and used mainly as a filler in paint and in commer- mica, has accumulated in settling ponds at the Feldspar cial casting molds. It is Uucked to the Great Lakes area and to Corporation operation in Hanover County. About 75,000 the western United States. Some is shipped overseas through to 100,000 tons of this material are added to settlings ponds the Port of Baltimore. per year. The waste "tailings" was evaluated in the mid- 1960s and were found suitable for use in face brick and IRON.O)ilDE PIGMENTS drain tile; the material fires dark brown to gray. Virginia is one of four states that produce pigments from GEMSTONES natural iron-oxide. Hoover Color Corporation, in Hiwass@, Pulaski County, produces ocheq umber, and sienna. The Corn- ln 1994, mineral collectors and mining operations in pany is the only operation in the United States producing si- Virginia produced natural gemstones. The Morefield peg- enna. Raw materials are mined by open pit methods from matite, operated by Piedmont Mining Company in Amelia deposits near the contact of the Erwin Formation with the County, is open to the public for collecting on a fee basis. overlying Shady Dolomite. Deposits, which may be associ- Blue-green amazonstone, beryl, topaz, tantalite, tourma- ated with gossans in Cambrian-age rocks, are concentrated as line, and zircon are some minerals found in this pegma- small bodies or pockets composed of insoluble clay and iron .'hand tite. The company also mines and sells picked', oxide. Precipitation from ground-water also concenhates some mica. Stone Cross Mountain operated a fee basis collect- iron oxide. The raw material is trucked to the company plant ing operation north of Stuart, Patrick County in southern at Hiwassee where it is pulverized, dried, ground, air sepa- Virginia, for mica pseudomorphs after staurolite crystals rated, blended, andpackaged before shipping. The finished (fairy crosses). However the operation closed in 1994. product is used as a coloring agent in a variety ofproducts. The largest market continues to be for paint; additional mar- GYPSUM kets are art supplies (crayons, chalh water colors) and build- ing products (colored cinder blocks and bricks). The pig- U.S. Gypsum Company operates an underground mine ments are shipped throughout the United States, Canada, and and plant at Locust Cove, Smyth County in the southwest- Mexico. Virginia Earth Pigments Company mines a small ern part of Virginia and a processing plant in Norfolk in quantity of iron oxide from the Brubaker #1 mine in south- the eastern part of the state. The Locust Cove Mine is a eastern Wythe County. Most of this material is sold to the slope-entry, multilevel operation. Isolated masses of gyp- Hoover Color Corporation. sum in the Maccrady Formation are mined by a modified stoping system. After being run through a primary crusher, KYANITE the gypsum is trucked to their processing plant at plasterco, near Saltville, in adjacent Washington County. At Kyanite, an aluminum silicate, was first produced in Plls_1er_co, tlre gypsum is ground into "land plaster" (CaSOo Prince Blward County in the 1920s. Virginia is the only sta&e + zHp). The material is calcined to remove the water producing kyanite since September 1986. Kyanite Mining and produce "stucco." Water is then added to the stucco Corporation produces most of the world's kyanite from its with additional ingredients (sugar and starch) and poured, deposit in Buckingham County. The company produces a molded and dried between sheets of paper to produce a concenrate with a maximum of 61.8 percent alumina and a wallboard. Eighty-three different kinds of wallboard are minimum iron content of 0.16 percent. The kyanite is con- produced at Plasterco; average daily production at the plant verted to mullite by calcining at temp€ratues greaterthan 3000 could supply the needs in constructing 80 three-bedroom degrees Fahrenheit. Mullite is a superduty refractory with a homes. pyrometric cone equivalent of 36 to 37. Prducts, which are The Norfolk plant processes crude gypsum from Little sold in 35, 48, 100, 200, and 325 mesh sizes are used in the Narrows and Windsor, Nova Scotia to produce wallboard refractory ceramic, glass, metallurgical, and foundry indus- and other gypsum-based products. The plant also produces fies. Mullite aids ceramics and glass to resist cracking, warp- a fertilizer (landplaster) as a soil conditioner for the pea- ing, slagging, and deforming at high temperatures. nut industry. The Norfolk facility receives a few ship- Kyanite Mining Corporation operates two surface mines ments of anhydrite from Nova Scotia for sale to cement and three processing plants in Cental Buckingham County, manufacturers. The anhydrite is used as a source of sul- one is at Willis Mountain, one is at East Ridge, and one is fur in producing cement clinker. north of Dillwyn. At ttte Willis Mountain and East Ridge mines, kyanite-bearing quartzite is quarried from open piB; PI,'BLICATION 142 this material is run through primary crushers, a log washer to quarry and calcine the high-calcium New Market Limestone. remove clay, and onto classifiers to remove kyanite. The ma- The Riverton Corporation, in Warren County, quarries and terial then passes through a rod mill, which reduces it to a calcines limestone from the Edinburg Formation. Shenvalley minus 35-mesh size, and through froth flotation cells where Lime Corporation in Stephens City, Frederick Counfy pur- additional kyanite is skimmed off. The kyanite is dewatered chases quicklime and produces a hydrated lime. Tlvo compa- and dried; the high of the drier converts any nies in western Giles County, APG Lime Corporation and East sulphide minerals that are present to magnetic oxides. Pyrite Ridge Lime Company, operate underground mines in the Five is converted to ferrous iron oxide (FerQ) or magnetite, which Oaks Limestone. Both companies calcine the limestone in is then removed by magnetic separators and stockpiled. rotary kilns. Principal sales are !o the paper and steel indus- The Willis Mouniain plant processes the raw kyanite, tries. some of which is then trucked to the East Ridge facility for Lime kiln dust collected from the baghouse at the APG calcining; the mullite product is ground and bagged at the Lime Corporation, is presently marketed to neutralize and sta- company's Dillwyn Plant. Raw kyanite is ground and bagged bilize coal refuse from preparation plants in West Virginia. at Willis Mountain. Approximately 40 percent of the production is shipped LITHII.JM through ports at Hampton Roads to customers worldwide. Most of the mullite and kyanite shipped from the port at Nor- At its Sunbright plant in Scott County, Cyprus Foote Min- folk is destined for Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Nether- eral Company processes lithium carbonate (derived from lands, Italy, and Australia. The company also markets sand brines in Nevada) with calcium hydroxide (from Virginia as a by-product from the processing of kyanite. This sand is sources) to produce lithium hydroxide. Some lithium car- used for golf courses, masonry and concrete sand, and for bonate is also imported from Chile into the port at Charles- applications such as sand for blasting. ton, South Carolina and transported in bulk bags by truck !o Sunbright. Lithium hydroxide is used in multipurpose grease. LIME In the past, limestone from an underground mine at the Sunbright site was used in the manufacturing process and a Virginia's lime production is from six companies in calcium carbonate precipitate was formed as a waste product. Frederick, Giles, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties. Produc- This material remains on the site. The approximate analysis tion in I 994 was 742,fi)0 short tons valued at more than 40. 1- of the material is 43 to 50 percent CaCOr, 3 to 6 percent million dollars (Figure 12). The paper industry uses lime for Ca(OH)r, and 40 to 80 percent H2O. regeneration of sodium hydroxide and for neutralization of sulphate water. Lime is used for water purification and in MANGANESE iron furnaces to remove impurities. During the last few years, lime has been used to neutralize acid mine water. [t is also Eveready Battery Company, Inc., operates a rnanganese used for masons' lime, sewage treatment, and agriculture pur- processing facility in the City of NewportNews. Manganese poses. One of the most important uses in the 1990s will be to ore, imported from Ghanq Africa and Mexico, is shipped to abate the SO2 and NO" emission from coal-fred boilers. Lime the Elizabeth River terminals in the City of Chesapeake. The is presently supplied to several cogeneration coal-fired plants ore is trucked to the processing plant. Manganese content and in southern Virginia. TWo companies, in northwestern Vfu- potential contaminants are monitored through continual chemi- ginia, W.S. Frey Company, Inc. and Chemstone Corporation cal and mineralogical analyses. The manganese is &ied in a 1,20o z.(t) t-o 6+o 1,OOO frt- E o -J aoo -ct> o-l a o30 -. o=. 6 600 o= -t= E 400 e ==olrl O=. - F S-l ro c) 200 o::) oE o CL O F 6l O) CD cD