The poor discovery record of the upper Texas Coast for 1940 is no improvement over that established for 1939. Coastal Louisiana, however, showed an advance in both the number and quality of new areas uncovered. The most noteworthy improvement of the year in Louisiana has been the increasing importance of the new reserves added to old fields through extensions and new sand discoveries.

During the past few years, a shift in the center of successful activity has given coastal Louisiana the lead over upper Texas. This shift coincided with the opening of the large area of only partially explored delta territory of Louisiana to intensive exploitation.

The increase in the number of economically marginal areas that are now being developed is credited to improvements in the technique of well testing and completion, mainly the introduction of the electric log, gun perforating and cement squeezing.