Total drilling activity decreased 7% in 1957. There were 2,872 wells drilled as compared with 3,085 wells drilled in 1956. Exploratory wells totaled 901, a decrease of 11.7% from the 1,020 the previous year. Development drilling during 1957 decreased 4.6% from 1,971 wells as compared with 2,065 in 1956.

The lower number of allowable producing days plus the decrease in development drilling is reflected in the 6.6% decrease in total oil production. In all, 54,498,934 bbls. of oil were produced in 1957, compared with 58,242,280 bbls. the previous year.

Geophysical activity decreased 21.4% in 1957 as compared with the year 1956. Subsurface geological methods, as in the past, were credited with more than 70% of the new discoveries.

Throckmorton, Shackelford, and Taylor counties led District 7-B in the number of discoveries. The discovery of two Fry sandstone oil-producing zones in the Jocelyn-Varn field in southwest Taylor County and the establishment of Cambrian sandstone oil production in the Tompkins field, Stonewall County, were the most significant discoveries in 1957.