UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Nikkel, John Glen
1000 Kensington Tower
7130 South Lewis
Tulsa, OK 74136
USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Unit Corporation
UNT
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
December 31, 1996
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
President and Chief Operating Officer
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
|Transaction| or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
|Date |Code| | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| | | Amount | D | Price | End of Year |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock | | | | | |27,913(1) |I |401(K) Plan |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock | | | | | |147,987 |D | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock | | | | | |76,000 | I* |By wife |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock | | | | | |14,286 |I |By Nike Exploration |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer |Date |Code| rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise Pr | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|ice of | | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity | | | Amount | |ble | | | |Year |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) Between 1/1/96 and 12/31/96, the reporting person acquired 1,661 shares of
Unit common stock under the Unit
401(k)
plan.
* The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares and this
report should not be deemed an
admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of such shares
for purposes of Section 16 or for any
other
purpose.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ John G. Nikkel
DATE
February 14, 1997
