Drilling completions for 1963 were down 13.7% from the previous year. An estimated 25% of this activity was in and around the Eastern Michigan St. Clair County Niagaran reef play, and 33% can be attributed to south-central Michigan. Much of the south-central activity was due to an extensive development program in Hillsdale County on the southeast end of the Albion-Pulaski-Scipio Trenton-Black River fracture trend.

The total footage drilled for the year, including deepenings, service wells, etc., was 1,851,996 ft.: classified as 1,064,645 ft. for development wells, 698,551 ft. for exploratory wells, and 88,800 ft. for service wells.

Oil production dropped while gas production showed an increase. The state produced 15,971,747 bbls. of oil and 31,914,969 MCF of gas.

Geophysical activity remained about the same throughout the year with 2 and 3 gravity crews in the state most of the time. Five seismograph crews did limited work in several areas. Leasing activity showed a very marked decline. A 22-company survey had 1,803,658 undeveloped acres under lease at the end of 1963 as compared with 3,614,799 acres for 1962.