The south Louisiana Gulf Coast onshore area is composed of 38 parishes. Petroleum operators drilled 1,344 wells with a total footage of 15,670,916 ft. This was a 15% decline from the 1981 total of 1,578 wells. Operators in south Louisiana drilled 283 wildcat wells with a success rate of 11%, 328 other exploratory wells with a success rate of 29%, and 733 development wells with a success rate of 68%. Wildcat drilling discovered 12 significant new fields. These significant new discoveries consist of 5 fields producing from Miocene sands, 5 fields producing from Oligocene Frio or Hackberry sands, and 2 fields producing from Eocene Cockfield and Wilcox sands. For the first time in recent years, there was not a new field discovered within the state's famous Tuscaloosa trend. >

Operators acquired 1,005,464 acres of mineral leases, a 43% decline from the 1981 total of 1,766,536 acres. Leasing was most active in Lafourche, Calcasieu, Beauregard, Terrebonne, and Jefferson Davis Parishes. Arco led all major companies in acquiring leases in south Louisiana, and Florida Exploration was the most active independent operator.

Geophysical activity in the onshore Louisiana Gulf Coast decreased for the first time since 1973. Activity dropped from the 1,734 crew-weeks in 1981 to 1,526 crew-weeks in 1982. The highest levels of geophysical activity were registered in Plaquemines, St. Landry, Terrebonne, Pointe Coupee, and Lafourche Parishes. For the third consecutive year, Arco led all operators in seismic activity in south Louisiana.