This report, the 13th based on data gathered by the Committee on Statistics of Exploratory Drilling, is the 22d annual summary on the subject published in the Bulletin. Frederic H. Lahee prepared this statistical analysis and wrote the annual article for 20 consecutive years. Graham B. Moody prepared the report for exploratory drilling in 1956.

During 1957, 14,707 exploratory holes were drilled in the United States and Alaska. Of these 8,014 were new-field wildcats, 3,476 were new-pool tests (including new-pool wildcats, deeper-pool tests, and shallower-pool tests) and 3,217 were outposts. Among the new-field wildcats, 872 were successful; among the new-pool tests, 854 were successful; and among the outposts, 1,084 were successful.

The total exploratory footage drilled in the United States and Alaska in 1957 was 69,136,226 ft. in the 14,707 holes, or 4,701 ft. per hole. These figures compare with 73,981,176 ft. drilled in 16,173 exploratory holes, with an average depth of 4,574 ft. in 1956. Our data show that oil production has been found in the state of Washington and in Alaska for the first time.

For the tenth time, we are presenting data on Canada and Mexico.