Fayette County is in central West Virginia. Rocks exposed at the surface are about 3,200 feet thick and comprise the Pocahontas, New River, Kanawha, and Allegheny Formations of Pennsylvanian age. The stratigraphic relations and distribution of coal in these formations were studied by the U.S. Geological Survey in connection with a low-sulfur coal program of the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
The coal in Fayette County is medium-volatile and high-volatile A and B bituminous ranks. Of 51 coal beds in the county, 22 are 28 inches to as much as 9 feet thick and contain substantial reserves. Several coals have been mined locally in the past by underground, stripping, and auger methods. Of the 22 coals discussed, 17 contain less than 1.0 percent sulfur, and the remainder average less than 2.0 percent sulfur.
Of an original 2,210 million tons of recoverable coal estimated for Fayette County, 678 million tons were mined between 1888 and 1966. Thus, the remaining recoverable coal reserves at the end of 1966 were 1,530 million tons. Of this amount, 86 percent or 1,320 million tons of coal is classified as low sulfur, and 210 million tons is classified as medium sulfur.
