WorldWide Drilling Resource

50 MAY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Mining in the USA Part 22 Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Pennsylvania’s abundance of nat- ural resources helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. As one of the original 13 colonies, the state provided essential building blocks of coal, iron ore, and petroleum to lead the nation in raw min- eral production for 100 years. Pennsylvania is sti l l one of the nation’s top coal-producing states, and is the only state producing anthracite, a clean-burning coal which is the least plentiful of all coal types. Anthracite has the highest heat value of any coal. It produces little soot and is mainly used as a domestic fuel in hand- fired stoves and automatic stoker fur- naces. The largest reserves of anthracite are found in the northeastern region of the state. Though Pennsylvania produces essentially all of America’s anthracite coal, bituminous coal accounts for most of the state’s coal production. Western Pennsylvania produces bituminous coal and is home to Enlow Fork Mine, America’s largest underground coal mine. Surface mining of noncoal/industri- al minerals is also a significant industry in the state. The most prominent non- coal resource mined in Pennsylvania is aggregate/crushed stone. The state is one of the nation’s top ten aggregate producers. Aggregates from Pennsylvania are used to make concrete, mortar, plaster, and blacktop. Rocks commonly mined for these purposes are limestone, sand- stone, and argillite. Mining is an important source of employment in the Keystone State. The industry employs around 50,000 people with a payroll in excess of $2 billion. Pennsylvania Anthracite coal in Schuylkill County. Photo courtesy of the Reading Anthracite Company. Taxes on these wages account for hun- dreds of millions of dollars in local, state, and federal tax revenue each year. Exploration for minerals in Rhode Island began with Native Americans who fashioned quartz into tools, and used graphite and hematite for decora- tion. European settlers mined smal l deposits of iron and copper, though it quickly proved to be an uneconomical venture. Coal and graphite were also mined with varying degrees of success. A number of high-quality amethyst deposits occur statewide. Since the 1820s, the Ocean State has been known for gem-quality amethysts from Bristol Ferry. Other notable deposits include Burri l lvi l le, Cumberland, Westerly, Providence, Smithfield, and Hopkinton. Rhode Island is currently home to around 30 mines, which primarily pro- duce aggregates for the road-building and concrete industries. These opera- tions provide direct employment to about 400 people and indirect employ- ment to roughly 2700. Win a prize! Send your completed puzzle to: WWDR PO Box 660 Bonifay, FL 32425 or fax to: 850-547-0329 Congratulations to: Sterling Hair, Hair Pump Sales Knoxville, Tennessee Winner for April! Time for a Little Fun! April Puzzle Solution: WORLDWIDE Fill in the missing consonants from the list below. The eight-letter words are all related to this month’s Editorial Topic of Education and Careers. B B C C C D G G G K L L M M N N N N N N N N P P R R R R R S S T T T T T W Y _ O _ _ U _ E _ E _ _ _ O _ E E _ U I _ A _ _ E I _ _ _ _ U _ _ _ E A _ _ I _ _ _ O _ E _ O O _ _ _ A I _ I _ _ _ E _ I _ A _ _ Rhode Island