The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1951 reported to March 21, 1952, was 696, a decrease of 48, or 6.3 per cent. Permits to drill or deepen total 744, or 104 less than in 1950, or a decrease of 12.3 per cent. Abandoned during the year were approximately 345 gas wells and 654 oil wells, which includes estimates for wells abandoned under original drilling permit numbers. Wells completed were: gas, 463; oil, 71; oil and gas, 15; storage, brine, water injection, and pressure, 30; dry holes, 117. Compared with 1950, gas wells increased 46, or 11 per cent; oil wells decreased 35, or 49 per cent; oil and gas wells decreased 19, or 56 per cent; storage and other wells, no change; dry holes decreased 40, or 25.5 per cent. Depth of wells completed ranged from 200 o 9,085 feet, compared with 220 to 6,097 feet in 1950. The 9,085-foot well was actually shut down at that depth at end of 1950 as reported last year but was not then considered completed. Total footage drilled (2,014,576) increased 29,636 feet, or 1.5 per cent over 1950. The average depth of wells (2,895 feet) increased 227 feet, or 8.5 per cent over 1950. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 355,853 MCF, a decrease of 112,541 MCF, or 24 per cent under 1950. The size of the gas wells ranged from 6 to 16,817 MCF, compared with 11 to 25,000 MCF in 1950. The total daily initial oil was 1,122 barrels, 406¼ barrels less than in 1950, or 26.6 per cent. The size of the oil wells ranged from 2 to 180 barrels daily, compared with ¼ to 80 barrels in 1950. The number of ells drilling or unreported if completed at the end of the year was 306, 7 less than at the end of 1950. Letters were sent to 223 operators regarding 442 wells not reported. Replies were received from 155 operators regarding 353 wells, leaving 68 operators unheard from regarding 89 wells. The average size of gas wells was 757 MCF compared with 1,079 MCF in 1950, a 30 per cent decrease. The average size of the oil wells was 14.2 barrels compared with 12.4 barrels in 1950, an increase of 14.5 per cent. Preliminary estimates of production for 1951: gas, 194,630,000 MCF, a decrease of 2,580,000 MCF under 1950, or 1.3 per cent; oil, 2,757,000 barrels, a decrease of 31,000 barrels under 1950, or 1 1/8 per cent. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1951: gas, 14,000; oil, 14,00 . Table gives statistics by counties.