Drilling activity in Arkansas and North Louisiana in 1951 decreased 5 per cent under the 1950 rate. There were 340 exploratory wells and 1,328 field wells drilled in 1951.

Production in 1951 was 82,554,990 barrels, a slight decrease under the 1950 total of 82,829,610 barrels.

Discoveries in Arkansas consisted of 4 new oil fields, 2 new gas fields, and 8 new producing zones, none of which appears to be of major size. In North Louisiana, there were 12 new oil fields and 2 new gas-distillate fields discovered. Four extensions and 9 new producing zones were added to proved fields. The majority of the new oil discoveries in North Louisiana were in the Wilcox (Eocene) trend.

Subsurface geology accounted for 13 of the 23 new-field discoveries in Arkansas and North Louisiana, but seismic geophysics attained the highest percentage of success.

There was little change in geophysical activity in 1951 from 1950.