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Note: These data are available in spreadsheet format by clicking the ''Download Series History'' link on the previous page (with drop-down menu bar at top).
 View History:    Monthly     Annual   
U.S. Natural Gas Exploratory and Developmental Wells Drilled (Count)
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  1973 519 454 494 546 598 543 615 690 574 694 616 590
  1974 686 545 657 624 604 595 604 554 569 633 526 541
  1975 613 539 534 587 634 673 731 838 788 842 673 675
  1976 866 691 708 659 708 781 795 964 866 815 846 710
  1977 847 782 1,014 899 946 1,092 1,030 1,187 1,070 1,166 1,025 1,064
  1978 1,076 861 1,075 1,142 1,182 1,251 1,215 1,353 1,301 1,428 1,291 1,238
  1979 1,337 917 1,114 1,117 1,258 1,335 1,286 1,424 1,302 1,582 1,328 1,254
  1980 1,570 1,260 1,293 1,308 1,326 1,595 1,498 1,555 1,632 1,642 1,416 1,366
  1981 2,001 1,391 1,513 1,574 1,690 1,691 1,646 1,816 1,817 1,854 1,609 1,648
  1982 1,956 1,613 1,763 1,553 1,604 1,585 1,503 1,572 1,489 1,441 1,430 1,552
  1983 1,468 1,134 1,108 907 989 1,083 1,124 1,375 1,306 1,473 1,329 1,374
  1984 1,420 1,313 1,166 1,035 1,402 1,544 1,466 1,602 1,501 1,643 1,679 1,567
  1985 1,392 1,278 1,286 1,107 1,032 1,178 1,264 1,287 1,230 1,314 960 996
  1986 1,130 810 807 704 535 561 621 609 631 742 692 757
  1987 725 665 653 539 518 576 623 735 737 888 708 729
  1988 689 680 668 549 597 671 684 721 816 856 807 840
  1989 784 659 681 630 652 743 825 919 894 951 892 892
  1990 908 749 764 710 872 941 1,046 1,072 1,032 1,182 895 955
  1991 907 763 827 775 758 821 887 844 769 847 691 722
  1992 653 585 548 466 488 584 595 687 745 967 943 1,044
  1993 1,024 1,010 999 690 754 765 668 780 836 940 857 851
  1994 797 693 751 731 763 768 813 864 941 933 880 805
  1995 827 772 747 608 612 600 609 692 800 798 687 702
  1996 749 718 709 685 785 734 817 869 830 973 865 805
  1997 834 823 836 763 838 904 947 975 1,108 1,173 1,019 966
  1998 928 845 835 884 835 904 1,002 1,004 1,015 1,092 897 886
  1999 815 664 642 600 799 800 879 1,118 1,161 1,254 1,293 1,096
  2000 1,140 1,177 1,235 1,094 1,226 1,315 1,441 1,726 1,564 1,631 1,354 1,339
  2001 1,519 1,377 1,604 1,597 1,802 2,061 2,002 2,203 1,919 2,092 1,758 1,469
  2002 1,525 1,363 1,306 1,272 1,394 1,496 1,486 1,571 1,329 1,411 1,324 1,251
  2003 1,341 1,133 1,348 1,495 1,542 1,677 1,762 1,920 1,825 2,048 1,693 1,738
  2004 1,504 1,535 1,740 1,695 1,754 1,807 1,742 1,910 2,148 1,875 2,066 2,040
  2005 2,062 2,077 2,144 2,231 2,244 2,311 2,351 2,353 2,371 2,499 2,385 1,986
  2006 2,385 2,565 2,534 2,596 2,624 2,630 2,636 2,708 2,732 2,754 2,703 2,720
  2007 2,696 2,745 2,735 2,735 2,740 2,776 2,782 2,793 2,760 2,684 2,716 2,748
  2008 2,658 2,667 2,703 2,735 2,766

Updated on 7/1/2008
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
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