Texas Natural ResourcesWhen you think of natural resources, the first thing that probably comes to mind is fossil fuels. If we factor the state of Texas into the equation, we think about big oil wells. Texas tea, black gold, swamp juice, whatever you want to call it, oil is a big part of people's perception of Texas' natural resources. But there are many more natural resources in Texas than you might think. The natural soils create good conditions for farming and ranching, we have large rock deposits for a variety of industrial uses, and we have a number of different mineral deposits scattered throughout the state. It's time to take a look at some of the many natural resources Texas has to offer. The first, obviously, must be the most important. Of the state's 254 counties, 232 produce some amount of oil. How did the oil industry begin in Texas? People actually knew about the oil fields in Texas long before they could figure out a good use for the material. The Indians knew about the seeps in the soil from which the oil oozed long before the Europeans arrived in the Americas. At first even those Europeans didn't know what to do with it. Hernando de Soto's crew used the material to caulk the boats to make them watertight. Texas' first oil well was drilled in Nacogdoches County in 1866, followed by other small wells. Texas' first big oil well was drilled in Corsicana in 1894, and the BIG one, Spindletop, blew out in a big way on January 10, 1901. But demand for oil took a while to catch up to production. After Spindletop, the country began to seriously move toward an oil-based economy. Oil has played an important role in shaping the economy, geography and society... the center of the map... comes from the Balcones Scarpata. The larger crushed rock from this area is used as a base layer for roads and buildings, to protect them from shifting soils. Very pure limestone is transformed into lime, which is then used in a wide variety of agricultural, industrial and construction activities. Other rocks crushed to produce building materials include basalt, used for railway beds, and marble, used for terrazzo floors. Texas is also a major producer of sand, gravel, and our infamous clay. Gypsum, an evaporite that accumulates when shallow inland seas build up. cut off from the oceans and evaporated, it is found in large quantities in the central and north-central parts of the state. Calcined gypsum, heated in a kiln, is transformed into plasterboard and plaster. Regular gypsum is used in Portland cement and as a fuel additive, among other things.