The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1958, reported to January 31, 1959, was 838, an increase of 6, or 0.7%. Permits to drill or deepen totaled 913, an increase of 14, or 1.56%. Abandoned during the year were 116 gas wells and 83 oil wells, or a total of 199 wells. These abandonments are all wells drilled before permits were required (May, 1929). No information on exact number of abandonments of wells drilled since May, 1929, is available as these wells are abandoned under original drilling permit numbers. Wells completed were: gas, 485; oil, 64; oil and gas, 111; storage, water-injection, brine, and pressure wells, 58; dry holes, 120; total, 838. Compared with 1957, gas wells decreased 19, or 3.77%; oil wells increased 1, or 1.6%; oil and gas wells incre sed 37, or 50%; storage and other wells increased 12, or 20%; dry holes decreased 25, or 17.3% Depth of wells ranged from 200 to 8,410 ft., compared with 281 to 7,391 ft. in 1957. Total footage drilled (2,260,030) increased 22,603 ft., or 1.01% over 1957 (2,237,427 ft.). The average depth of wells (2,697 ft.) decreased 20 ft. under the 1957 average (2,717 ft.), or 0.7%. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 338,819 MCF, a decrease of 248,146 MCF, or 42.64% under the 1957 total (581,965 MCF). The size of the gas wells ranged from 2 to 17,250 MCF, compared with 5 to 34,500 MCF in 1957. The total daily initial oil was 4,494 bbls., an increase of 905 bbls. over 1957 (3,589 bbls.), or 25.22%. The size of the oil wells ranged from 0½ bbl. to 550 bbls. daily, compared with ½ bbl. to 340 bbls. in 1957. The number of wells drilling, or unreported if completed, at the end of the year, was 353, 33 more than in 1957, an increase of 10.31%. Letters were sent to 58 operators regarding 77 wells not reported. Replies were received from 24 operators (41%) regarding 37 wells (48%), leaving 34 operators (59%) unheard from regarding 40 wells (51%). The average size of gas wells was 627 MCF, compared with 1,076 MCF in 1957, a decrease of 449 MCF, or 41.7%. The average size of the oil wells was 37.5 bbls., compared with 32.6 bbls. in 1957, an increase of 4.9 bbls., or 15%. Preliminary estimates of production for 1958: gas, 197,250,000 MCF, compared with 189,000,000 MCF in 1957, or 8,250,000 MCF, an increase of 4.36%; oil, 2,186,500 bls., a decrease of 38,500 bbls. u der the 1957 estimate (2,225,000 bbls.), or 1.73%. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1958: gas, 15,403; oil, 12,808. The table of operations gives statistics by counties. We had drilling or scout reports on the other 276 wells reported as drilling or uncompleted at the end of the year.