Petroleum production in Europe outside the Soviet zone increased 16% over the preceding year, to a rate of 230,948 bbls. per day. This was a new record, but was only slightly more than 10% of production in the Russian orbit. All countries but Austria showed increases, and Italian production more than doubled, due chiefly to further development of the Ragusa field. Geological and geophysical exploration continued at a high level, and exploratory drilling reached a new high. However, no major discoveries were made. In northwest Germany three discoveries in the northern part of the Lower Saxony basin, southeast of the Vechte field, were apparently the new finds of greatest significance. A new oil field found south of Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea coast was the second in a M ddle Jurassic trough first found by drilling in 1955. A new depth record for Germany was made by a Permian gas exploration well, which reached 14,820 ft. In Italy a new field, Noto, was found in Sicily, and there were 6 gas discoveries in the Po valley and in Sicily. By the end of 1957 only one of the gas fields appeared to be an important discovery. A depth record for Europe was attained by Piadena well No. 23, in the Po valley, which reached 17,227 ft., probably still in the middle Miocene. In the Netherlands five oil fields and one gas field were discovered in the southwest part of the country. Another small oil field was found in Nottinghamshire, England. There was considerable exploratory drilling in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and European Turkey, which revealed important new geologic l information but was unsuccessful. Deep-seated salt uplifts were found by drilling in northern Spain in an area with numerous piercement domes. Exploratory drilling was resumed in Denmark after inactivity since 1955.