Marker Number |
1384 |
Atlas Number |
5135001384 |
Marker Title |
Ector County's First Dry Hole |
Index Entry |
Ector County's First Dry Hole |
Address |
|
City |
Odessa |
County |
Ector |
UTM Zone |
13 |
UTM Easting |
751011 |
UTM Northing |
3528144 |
Subject Codes |
oil/petroleum topics |
Marker Year |
1965 |
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
Marker Location |
West side of Street 917 N. Grandview, Odessa (marker is facing East -small strip center) |
Private Property |
No |
Marker Condition |
In Situ |
Marker Size |
18" x 28" |
Marker Text |
Drilled in 1924 near this site. Geologists were forecasting oil and urgently-needed potash, but Pennsylvania experts (using a chilled shop core drill) gave up the well at 900 feet, on "Red Bed" Rock--A substance new to them. Loss in this and a second drilling was $150.000. In 1927 a well was brought in just west of Odessa, and in a few years oil was found within yards of the first dry hole. By 1964 Ector County had 9,600 oil and 22 gas wells. However, the U.S. average is 8 dry holes out of 9 wells such as that drilled here in 1924. |