Development in West Texas continued at about the same rate as during the previous two years, with 1,747 field wells being completed, and 119 wildcats. The percentage of wildcat strikes was unusually high in that 47 were producers while the percentage of dry holes was only 5.6%. Eighteen new discoveries (twice as many as during 1939) were recorded with fourteen from Permian rocks ranging from the Yates sand (upper Whitehorse) down to the upper portion of the Clear Fork. The four pre-Permian discoveries included one each from the Lower Pennsylvanian, Silurian, Simpson (Middle Ordovician), and Ellenburger (Lower Ordovician). Five of the new discoveries are in Crockett County. Many of the fields were extended considerably, and several geologically important wildcats were dril ed.

The trend in exploration seems to be toward more and deeper wildcatting with probably a slow orderly development of the new discoveries except where near-expiration leases are held.

There have been very few improvements in drilling and production practices. Activity in geophysical exploration was at a high level in the central and southern portions of the Midland Basin and along the Eastern platform.

Development in southeastern New Mexico was less than the previous year with 542 wells being drilled. The percentage of dry holes (13.5%) ran higher than previously because of hazardous development in lenticular, irregularly cemented "sands" flanking the Artesia-Maljamar nose on the south and north. Few deep exploratory tests were drilled in spite of contiguous areas of West Texas being productive from pre-Permian formations. Only two new discoveries were recorded from southeastern New Mexico, but several fields were extended considerably.

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