In 1949, total wells drilled in West Virginia, reported to March 10, 1950, number 700,234, or 25 per cent less than in 1948. Permits to drill total 813, 110, or 12 per cent less than in 1948. The exact number of abandonments during the year is not available at this time but will exceed 1,500 wells, about 2/3 of which were oil wells. Wells completed were: gas, 427; oil, 78; oil and gas, 24; storage, brine, and water-intake wells, 27; dry holes, 144. The number of gas wells was 27 per cent less than in 1948. Oil wells were 40 per cent less than in 1948. Oil and gas wells were 8 per cent less than in 1948. Storage and other wells increased 200 per cent over 1948. Dry holes were 18 per cent less in number, but the percentage of dry holes to completions increased from 19 to 20 per cent. The depths of wells ranged from 56 to 8,635 feet, compared with 283 to 8,942 feet in 1948. Total footage drilled decreased 614,282 feet under the 1948 total, or 24+ per cent. The average depth of wells increased 25 feet (to 2,724 feet). The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 352,117 Mcf, or 28 per cent less than in 1948. The size of the gas wells ranged from 6 to 25,000 Mcf, compared with 6 to 24,000 Mcf in 1948. The total daily initial oil in 1949 was 842 3/4 barrels, a decrease of 1636 barrels, under the 1948 total, or 34 per cent. Size of oil wells ranged from ¼ barrel to 50± barrels, compared with ¼ to 130 barrels in 1948. The number of wells drilling or unreported if completed at the end of the year was 271, 62 less than in 1948. Letters wer sent to 223 operators regarding 442 wells not reported. Replies were received from 115 operators regarding 289 wells, leaving 108 operators unheard from concerning 153 wells. Preliminary estimates of production for 1949: gas, 181,380,000 Mcf; oil, 2,830,000 barrels. Estimated number of producing wells at end of 1949: gas, 13,800; oil, 15,000. A table gives statistics by counties.