This report covers that part of the Gulf Coastal Province located in North Louisiana and Arkansas, and the Paleozoic area of northwestern Arkansas. The District includes 26 parishes of North Louisiana and all of Arkansas.

There was an over-all increase in drilling activity in 1963 as compared with the previous years. North Louisiana had a record-breaking year in the number of wells drilled. This was due to an increase in development drilling in the Wilcox trend and Saratoga-Annona Chalk areas of Sabine and Caddo Parishes. There was also an increase in exploratory drilling. Arkansas showed an increase in development and a decrease in exploration drilling activity.

Fourteen new fields were discovered in North Louisiana and 5 new fields were discovered in Arkansas. Sandstones of the Wilcox formation accounted for the largest number of new-field discoveries in North Louisiana. Four of the new-field discoveries in South Arkansas were in the Nacatoch, Meakin, and Baker sands and the Smackover limestone. In North Arkansas the discovery was in the Atoka (Pennsylvanian) sand.

The most important exploration activity in Arkansas was in search of gas in the Arkoma basin in the northwestern part of the state. Exploratory drilling was active in the Wilcox areas in the eastern part of North Louisiana, and in the western part the Saratoga and Annona Chalk areas were most active.

Exploration activity will probably remain about the same during 1964 as was present in 1963. Arkansas' most important activity will be centered in the Arkoma basin while activity in North Louisiana will again be centered in the Wilcox, Sligo, Hosston-Cotton Valley, and Saratoga-Annona Chalk areas.