ABSTRACT
The number of wells completed in Mexico during 1957 decreased from 402 to 389; however, the average depth per well increased from 5,407 to 6,463 ft. for a total footage of 2,514,165 ft., an increase of 340, 357 ft. over the total footage drilled during the previous year. One hundred and eight wells were exploratory holes (77 new-field wildcats). New reserves were added through the discovery of 14 new oil and/or gas fields, 13 new pools, and 7 extensions to previously producing fields. The total number of successful wells was 273 (70.2%). Exploratory tests were 31.5% successful (34 wells).
Apart from the exploratory effort which was concentrated in the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico, where all the producing fields are located, gravity and seismic surveys continued working and two wildcats were drilled in the Peninsula of Baja California; gravity reconnaissance was continued in the eastern part of the Peninsula of Yucatan and in northern Chihuahua. Eastern Coahuila and Northern Nuevo Leon, which represent the Cretaceous trend of northeastern Mexico, were explored with gravity and seismic surveys and 4 wells were drilled, having established gas production from Upper Cretaceous limestones in the Garza field. The greatest activity in exploratory drilling was in the southern Poza Rica district, where two major oil fields were brought into production (El Hallazgo and Gran Morelos). Jurassic formations have become a normal and important objective in the Tampico-Poza Rica districts.
Two small gas fields were discovered in the Veracruz Embayment and two major oil fields associated with salt domes were found in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (R. Ogarrio and Magallanes).
Crude-oil and distillate production for 1957 was 92,197,298 bbls. Total gas production was 163,930,007 MCF.
