Billionth Barrel

On May 25, 1965, from one of 7,400 producing oil wells in the county's 196 fields, came the Billionth Barrel of Andrews County crude oil. In the 35 years and 5 months since oil flowed from the county's discovery well, C. E. Ogden No. 1, in Dec. 1929, Andrews has attained a new place in history. In 1929, the county had about 400 people. Its wealth, mostly in land and livestock, amounted to $8,109,399. Five persons in the county filed income tax returns. There were fewer than 100 children in school. Highway bonds in the amount of $200,000 were about to be issued, as a measure for county improvement. By 1956, Andrews County produced more than 60,000,000 barrels of oil annually--gaining recognition as number one in Texas and in the United States. Of great significance is the fact that presently proven reserves underlying the county total more than one billion barrels, without any consideration for additional recoveries by secondary methods. Andrews is more than a product of the billion barrels of crude of oil it has produced, more than the gasoline plants working through the night, more than modern highways, paved streets, homes, schools, dreams. Its destiny is great in human resources--and oil. (1965)

Billionth Barrel is a historical marker in Andrews, Andrews County, dedicated in 1965. It is one of 13 historical markers documented in Andrews County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 15 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.3201, -102.5472 near Andrews. The nearest cataloged historic site is Andrews County Courthouse (1939) (courthouse), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Shafter's Trail, Original Townsite of Andrews, and Early Settlers of Andrews County.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5003000407. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.