Petroleum production in Africa continued to increase in 1952 reaching an all-time high of 17,535,401 barrels. Both Algeria and French Morocco showed particularly marked increases in production. Drilling was carried on during the year in Algeria, Angola, Cameroun, Egypt, Ethiopia French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar, French Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tunisia, and totalled 575,000 feet. Thirty-three rigs were in operation at year's end. Exploratory drilling was only about 1 per cent successful while development drilling was about 75 per cent successful.

Geological and geophysical exploratory activity also showed an increase over previous years with active exploration going on in Algeria, Angola, Cameroun, Ethiopia, French Equatorial Africa French West Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, French Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanganyika, Tunisia and the Union of South Africa. Work in party-months was approximately as follows: surface geology, 186+; seismograph, 181+; gravity, 70; telluric, 25; magnetometer, 3.5.

Highlights of the year were the increased production of the Oued Gueterini field in Algeria; the attention given to the petroleum prospects of the Sahara region in Algeria; the starting of drilling in Angola; the continued extensive exploration program of the French Government companies in Cameroun, Equatorial Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar; the almost complete cessation of exploratory operation in Egypt: the concession interest and exploratory activity on the East African coast from Somaliland to Mozambique; concession interest in Libya; new discoveries in French Morocco, and the active exploration programs carried on in Tunisia and in Nigeria.