Areas of Alaska that have been explored in recent years to determine the oil possibilities are the Arctic Slope, the east side of the Alaska Peninsula, and the Gulf of Alaska coastal area. In 1950 intensive exploration took place on the Arctic Slope in and near Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, where the Navy has been conducting investigations since 1944. Seven geologic parties of the United States Geological Survey, and four seismic parties and one gravity party of the United Geophysical Company, Inc., were in the field. The geologic parties mapped structures within the Reserve and made areal and stratigraphic studies outside the Reserve. The geophysical parties worked entirely within the Reserve doing both regional reconnaissance and detail shooting for drilling sites. In ddition 11 wells were drilled or drilling in 1950. Several of these were deep tests, including one that bottomed at 11,872 feet. All but one of the wells were entirely within the Lower Cretaceous part of the section after the mantle of Pleistocene gravel was penetrated. As the result of the 1950 drilling, the Navy has announced the discovery of "two minor oil fields."

The United States Geological Survey had one party in the field in the Alaska Peninsula-Cook Inlet area, studying the stratigraphy, structure, and oil possibilities of Jurassic rocks in the Iniskin Peninsula region. Laboratory and office studies also continued on the geology and oil possibilities of the Yakataga district, which is in the belt of Tertiary rocks that borders the Gulf of Alaska. Reported oil and gas seeps in the vicinity of Anvik on the lower Yukon River were also investigated, but no authentic oil or gas seep was found. There was no known exploration in Alaska by any major oil company in 1950.

Topographic mapping and aerial photographing of Alaska continued. Topographic and planimetric maps on the scale of 1:250,000 are now becoming available for large areas of Alaska; these will be of great value as base maps for future reconnaissance studies of the oil possibilities of interior Alaska.