| 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. |
