THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF WEST VIRGINIA 759 
 
Table 4.—Worktime and injury experience in the mineral industries 
- Year and industry 
Average men 
working daily 
Days 
active 
Man-days 
worked 
(thou- 
sands) 
Man-hours 
worked 
(thou- 
sands) 
 Number of  Injury rates per 
  injuries million man-hours 
Fatal Nonfatal Frequency Severity 
1971: 
 
 
 
 
 
Coal          Nonmetal       
48,824 
 161 
217 
229 
9,580 
 37 
75,524 
 298 
40 4,786 63.24 NA 4 13.64 817 
Sand and gravel 
287 
222 
64 
698 
22 81.51 1,481 
Stone          
 Total        1972:2 
1,315 
248 
326 
2,661 
2 58 22.55 6,282 
 
45,587 
218 
9,956 
79,176 
42 4,820 61.41 NA 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Coal           
NA 
NA 
NA 
NA 
NA NA NA NA 
Nonmetal       
160 
259 
42 
333 
—— 1 3.01, 21 
Sand and gravel - 
165 
246 
41 
417 
8 19.17 774 
Stone          
 Total         
1,125 
266 
300 
2,450 
2 87 15.92 5,211 
 
NA 
NA 
NA 
NA 
NA NA NA NA 
NA Not available. 
' Data does not add to total shown because of independent rounding. 
 2 In 1971 and earlier years, estimates were made of injury and employment
data for those active operators who did not file reports; however, no estimates
were made for active operators who did not report in 1972. Tabulations were
made from data in file as of July 1, 1973 and are preliminary. 
jured 10 others. On December 16, a me- mine, Wyoming County, killed five
men thane gas explosion at the Itmann No. 3 and injured three others. 
 
 
REVIEW BY MINERAL COMMODITIES 
 
MINERAL FUELS 
 
 Carbon Black.—Carbon black was produced at two furnace process plants,
one each in Marshall and Pleasants Counties. The production of carbon black
increased 99.1% over that of 1971. The total value of this production increased
96.9% over the 1971 value. Carbon black was mostly used by the rubber industry
and in the manufacture of ink. 
 Coal (Bituminous~—West Virginia, after losing its position in 1971
as the leading coal-producing State in the Nation, regained the top spot
in 1972. The 1972 production was 124 million short tons, an increase of 6
million short tons or 4.6% when compared with the 118 million short tons
produced in 1971. The total value of the 1972 coal production increased $147
million or 13.0% when compared with the 1971 total value. 
 Each of the following five counties, listed in descending order, produced
more than 10 million short tons in 1972: McDowell, Monongalia, Wyoming, Boone,
and Kanawha. Leaders in production from underground mines were McDowell,
Monongalia, and Wyoming Counties. Leaders in production from strip mines
were Kanawha, Barbour, and Boone Counties. Leaders in production from auger
mines were Kanawha, 
Logan, and Mingo Counties. The largest coal-producing mine in the State was
the Humphrey No. 7 Christopher Coal Co., Div., Consolidation Coal Co. mine
in Monongalia County. There were 21 mines, all underground, that had individual
productions of over 1 million tons. 
 The production of open-market coal 
totaled 116.5 million short tons valued at 
$1,179 million, an increase of 11.5 million 
tons or 11% in quantity and an increase of 
$226 million or 23.7% in value when compared with the 1971 quantity and value.

The production of captive coal totaled 7.2 
million short tons valued at $97 million, 
a decrease of 6 million tons or 45.5% in 
quantity and a decrease of $78 million or 
44.6% in value when compared with the 
1971 quantity and value. The average value 
per ton of coal rose to $10.31 in 1972 from 
$9.54 in 1971, an increase of 8.1%. 
 There were 935 active mines in 1972, each mine having a production of 1,000
tons or more. This was a decrease of 115 mines or 11% when compared with
the active mines in 1971. All methods of mming—underground, strip,
and auger—had declines in the number of active mines. However, the
total production by underground mining methods increased over that of 1971,
whereas, each of the other mining methods—strip and auger—had
less total