Developments in Arizona, western New Mexico, and northern New Mexico in 1953

Six hundred and sixty-three wells were drilled in northern and western New Mexico in 1953 with a total footage of 2,744,285, making an average of 4,139 feet per well. This is an increase of 56 per cent in number of wells drilled. Sixty-two of the wells, with a total footage of 269,884, were wildcat wells. This is an increase of 8.7 per cent in number of wildcat wells and 17.8 per cent in total wildcat footage over 1952. Twenty-three wildcat wells were successful in 1953 compared with thirteen in 1951. Thirty-seven per cent of the wildcats drilled were successful. Arizona drilling was limited to six wildcats with a footage of 20,315, all failures. Production of natural gas almost doubled in 1953, for the third consecutive year. The San Juan Basin produced 96,911 MMCF in 1953 as compared with 59,741 MMCF in 1952. Oil production increased from 627,179 barrels in 1952 to 716,424 barrels in 1953.