The total number of wells drilled in West Texas during 1942, including those drilled deeper and recompleted, was 1,320 which represents a decline of 44 per cent from the drilling activity of the preceding year, and is the lowest number of wells completed in this area in the last 5 years. The most active field as in 1941 was the Slaughter field which had 418 completions. The number of wildcats completed was 134 which is only one less than in 1941. Thirty-three of these 134 wildcats were completed as producers or a discovery success of 24.6 per cent. These 33 producers resulted in the opening up of 17 new areas of production, 10 extensions of more than one mile from known areas, and the finding of additional producing levels in 6 fields. A new dolomite producing zone in the lower Leonard was found in Andrews County, and a producing sand in the Leonard was found in the Big Lake field, Reagan County. In addition, the first Cambrian sand production for the area was developed from a sand of that age in northern Pecos County. Production from the Tubb zone of the Leonard was developed in Ward, Andrews, and Gaines counties. A new area of Holt zone production of the basal San Andres was opened in southern Gaines County.

Pre-Permian drilling and exploration was the highest in the history of the Permian basin, 126 wells being completed in 1942. Of this total, 51 were drilled in the Abell pool, the most active field, 7 of which were dry and abandoned. Eighty-nine pre-Permian wells were completed as producers, of which 10 were dry in the pre-Permian but were plugged back to the Permian to become producers. Of the 30 pre-Permian wildcats drilled, 6 were completed as producers, giving a discovery rate of 20 per cent.

There were 339 wells drilled in southeastern New Mexico last year, a decline of only 8.7 per cent under 1941. Of this number 35 were wildcats which is 4 less than the number of wildcats drilled in 1941. Twenty-three wildcats were drilled in Eddy County, the others being in Lea, Chaves, Roosevelt, and De Baca counties. Six wildcats resulted in producers which is a discovery success of 17.1 per cent. These six producers accounted for three new areas of production and three extensions of known areas. The wildcat discoveries and extensions were all from known Permian producing zones being from the Yates, Queen, Grayburg, and San Andres formations.

Geophysical activity in both West Texas and southeastern New Mexico was greater in 1942 than during the previous year. Eighty-six crews of all types were working in the area at some time during the year as compared with 69 crews in 1941.