816 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
feet. The output was delivered to the pipelines of Consolidated Gas Supply
Corp., the Atlantic Seaboard Line, and the Kentucky-West Virginia Gas Co.
Natural gas was produced in three southwestern counties—Tazewell, Buchanan,
and Dickenson. Tazewell County led in production with about 60 percent of
the State's output. Buchanan County and Dickenson County contributed 25 percent
and 15 percent, respectively. Compared with 1966, only Dickenson County had
an increase in natural gas output, but this increase was more than offset
by declines in the other producing counties. At the close of the year, 112
gas wells were operating, compared with 104 in 1966 and 99 in 1965. 
 Reserves of natural gas were 37,798 million cubic feet, as reported by the
American Gas Association. This is 212 million cubic feet more than reported
in 1966. 
 There were no facilities for the underground storage of natural gas; however,
the Washington Gas Light Co. operated a mined granite facility in Fairfax
County for the storage of liquefied petroleum gases. The Oil and Gas Journal
(Oct. 16, 1967) reported the capacity to be 300,000 barrels of propane. 
 During 1967, production of crude petroleum in Virginia totaled 3,491 barrels,
a substantial increase over the 1,073 barrels produced in 1966. All production
was from Lee County, with the Rose Hill field accounting for 1,870 barrels
and the Ben Hur field for 1,621 barrels. At yearend, four oil wells were
operating compared with six at the close of 1966, according to Virginia Department
of Labor and Industry, Division of Mines and Quarries. 
 The No. 1 J.V. Graham well reportedly (Oil and Gas Journal, May 22, 1967)
was completed for about 400 barrels per day of 48° API gravity oil from
the Ordovician Trenton Limestone. Depth of the pay zone was 2,215 to 2,540
feet. The incident reportedly resulted in an extensive lease play in Southwestern
Virginia. However, the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources reported in
the Virginia Minerals journal for May 1968 that the well only produced 519
barrels during April and May of 1967. Apparently the subsequent results did
not substantiate the earlier rumors. 
 The American Oil Co. operated a coking and catalytic cracking and reform-

ing refinery at Yorktown, York County. Operating capacity was 43,600 barrels
per calendar day. The gasoline output capacity was 22,200 barrels per calendar
day. The Oil and Gas Journal (April 1, 1968) reports, additionally, that
the plant had a coke capacity of 900 tons per stream day. 
 
NONMETALS 
 
 Aplite.—Interrupting an increasing trend, output and value were slightly
less than those in 1966. Production of this feldspar commodity, chiefly for
use in glass manufacture, was from two operations— one in Nelson County
and one in Hanover County. A limited quantity of the material from a second
operation in Nelson County was produced for use chiefly as an aggregate.

 
 Cement.—Sales of portland cement declined for the third consecutive
year. Shipments were 7 percent lower than in 1966, but value of shipments
was only 1 percent lower, due to an average increase of $0.20 per barrel
(376 pounds) over last year's average value per barrel of $2.97. Masonry
cement shipments declined 8 percent and value of shipments 7 percent; the
average value per barrel (280 pounds) was slightly higher in 1967. Of the
total cement shipped, including portland and masonry, portland cement accounted
for 88 percent of shipments and 82 percent of the total value. 
 Portland cement plant capacity was virtually unchanged during the year.
Four plants manufactured cement; three made both portland and masonry cement
and one plant produced only masonry cement. The wet process of manufacturing
portland cement was used by one plant while two plants used the dry process.
Cement was produced in Augusta, Botetourt, and Warren Counties and the city
of Chesapeake. 
 Cement producers mined low magnesian limestone, shale, clay, and calcareous
marl for their own use. Ingredients purchased for use in cement manufacture
included sand, oystershell, mill scale, gypsum, various air-entraining compounds
and a variety of grinding aids. Over four-fifths of the electrical energy
used was purchased. 
 General use and moderate heat types (Types I and II) comprised the bulk
of portland cement produced and marketed; a limited quantity of high-early-strength
cement (Type III) was produced and