The total number of wells drilled in West Virginia in 1957 reported to January 30, 1958, was 832, an increase of 23, or 2.8%. Permits to drill or deepen totaled 899, an increase of 107, or 13.5%. Abandoned during the year were 92 gas wells and 157 oil wells, or a total of 249 wells. These abandonments are all wells drilled before permits were required (May, 1929). No information on exact number of abandonments of wells drilled since May, 1929, is available as these wells are abandoned under original drilling permit numbers. Wells completed were: gas, 504; oil, 63; oil and gas, 74; storage, water-injection, brine, and pressure wells, 46; dry holes, 145; total, 832. Compared with 1956, gas wells decreased 15, or 2.9%; oil wells increased 5, or 8.6%; oil and gas wells increa ed 9, or 14.3%; storage and other wells increased 10, or 27.7%; dry holes increased 12, or 9%. Depth of wells completed ranged from 281 to 7,391 ft., compared with 110 to 8,030 ft. in 1956. Total footage drilled (2,237,427) increased 37,324 ft., or 1.7% over 1956 (2,200,103 ft.). The average depth of wells (2,689 ft) decreased 31 ft. from the 1956 average (2,720 ft.), or 0.11%. The total initial daily open flow of the gas wells was 581,965 MCF, a decrease of 40,581 MCF, or 6.6% under the 1956 total (622,546 MCF). The size of the gas wells ranged from 5 to 34,500 MCF, compared with 11 to 25,000 MCF in 1956. The total daily initial oil was 3,589 bbls., an increase of 1156½ bbls. over 1956 (2432½ bbls.), or 47%. The size of the oil wells ranged from 0½ bbl. to 340 bbls. daily compared with ½ bbl. to 300 bbls. in 1956. The number of wells drilling or unreported if completed at the end of the year was 320, 37 more than in 1956, an increase of 13%. Letters were sent to 212 operators regarding 450 wells not reported. Replies were received from 138 operators (65.1%) regarding 324 wells (72%), leaving 74 operators (34.9%) unheard from regarding 126 wells (28%). The average size of gas wells was 1,076 MCF, compared with 1,132 MCF in 1956, a decrease of 66 MCF, or 5.8%. The average size of the oil wells was 32.6 bbls., compared with 27 bbls. in 1956, an increase of 5.6 bbls., or 20.7%. Preliminary estimates of production for 1957: gas, 189,000,000 MCF, compared with 210,000,000 MCF for 1956, or 21,000,000 MCF, a decrease of 10%; oil 2,225,000 bbls., an increase of 25,000 bbls. over the 1956 estimate (2,200,000 bbls.), or 1.14%. The estimated number of producing wells at the end of 1957: gas, 14,979; oil, 12,716. The table of operations gives statistics by counties.