In 1968 oil production in western Europe declined slightly to 381,880 b/d but natural gas production increased 42% to more than 4 Bcf/d, the greatest increase being from the Groningen field of The Netherlands. The Leman Bank gas field of the United Kingdom North Sea area and the Meillon field of southern France went on production. The major exploration results of the year were in the North Sea. A possible major gas-condensate discovery, Cod, was made in Norwegian waters near the median line of the sea. Another oil discovery, of questionable commercial importance, was made in the Danish sector. The Netherlands government granted prospecting licenses in the Dutch North Sea area. Drilling began soon after, and resulted in 2 gas discoveries before the end of 1968. A possibly ignificant gas discovery was made in the United Kingdom area about 18 mi off the Yorkshire coast. Activity in the German area remained suspended. In Austria there were 3 oil and 3 gas discoveries, including a gas reservoir in the Triassic below 15,861 ft in the Vienna basin. In France exploration was focused on the Aquitaine basin. A new-field gas discovery was made, and a new depth record for Europe, 21,812 ft, was attainted by a well in the Pyrenees border zone. Offshore drilling in the Bay of Biscay was suspended, but the first well in the Mediterranean Sea was spudded. In Germany there was an oil discovery in the midst of the old Hannover producing area, and 3 Upper Permian and 1 Upper Carboniferous new-gas fields were found in the northwest German basin. In Italy, offshore explorati n permits were granted in the mid-Adriatic zone, and 3 important gas discoveries were made in the northern Adriatic and 1 in the mid-Adriatic. In The Netherlands, onshore exploration increased as a result of issuance of drilling permits in late 1967 and in 1968, and several gas discoveries were made in the eastern and northeastern part of the country. In Spain the first offshore wells were drilled, 1 off the east cost and 2 in the Gulf of Cadiz; all were unsuccessful. In the Soviet Union production of oil rose to 5,920,000 b/d and of gas to 16,500 Bcf/d. Proved gas reserves were estimated at 333 Tcf, with 54.6% in the West Siberian basin. Delineation by extension wells increased reserves of the largest oil field of the West Siberian basin, Samot-Lor, to 2.9 billion bbl. Reserves of a new gas field in the southern Ural-Volga basin, Krasnyy Kholm, were increased to 23 Tcf. Important gas discoveries were made in Central Asia and in the Arctic part of the West Siberian basin, and oil discoveries were made on the east side of the Caspian Sea and on the Baltic coast. A new drilling depth record of 21,980 ft was made in westernmost Asiatic Russia. In southeastern Hungary there was a new oil discovery in the Szeged area, and in Czechoslovakia an oil find was made in the northern Vienna basin.