All oil and gas exploration and operation indicators in the south Louisiana onshore region decreased in 1985. The industry has apparently entered a significant downturn with both oil and gas as surplus entities, and many factors point to lower oil prices. Companies opted to continue and expand the conservative tactics they embraced in earlier years. These tactics involve preferential drilling for oil rather than gas, an amplified number of development wells, acquisition of reserves through field purchases and company mergers, and heightened emphasis and company mergers, and heightened emphasis on drilling and exploration activities in the proven Miocene and Oligocene trends.

Oil companies drilled 1,402 wells in onshore south Louisiana in 1985, a 3% decline from 1984 levels and an 11% decrease from the peak year of 1981. Total footage ebbed slightly from 15,324,733 ft in 1984 to 14,826,231 ft in 1985, whereas average well depth increased slightly. Operators drilled 218 wildcats, 229 other exploratory tests, and the highest number of development wells (955) in recent history. Twenty-one new fields were discovered in 1985: 6 fields in the Miocene trend, 7 in the Oligocene trend, 6 in the Eocene trend, and 2 in the Cretaceous trend. There were 38 significant extensions, of which 28 were established in Oligocene or Miocene rocks and 5 each completed in Eocene and Cretaceous sediments.

Leasing activity fell 30% from the 1984 mark to 618, 618,033 ac, and plunged 65% from industry heights in 1981. Most active lease sites were Allen, Lafourche, St. Martin, Cameron, and Calcasieu Parishes.

Seismic surveying also fell significantly from 1,259 crew-weeks registered in 1984 to 993 crew-weeks in 1985. Vermilion, Cameron, Plaquemines, and St. Mary Parishes recorded the highest levels of geophysical activity.