Anahuac Oil and Gas Field
Monroe City, Chambers County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Although oil production of major value began in Chambers County in 1916, this prolific Anahuac field was discovered on March 3, 1935, with completion of Humble Oil & Refining Company's A. D. Middleton No. 1 (1.8 mi. SE). The camp which housed Humble crews who developed the field was adjacent to this site. The field encompasses some 14,000 acres of prime rice and grazing land and produces from 21 zones in a highly faulted domal structure. Producing depths range from 6,600 feet to 8,600 feet. Peak production was reached in world War II, when in 1944 annual total was 11,916,137 barrels. discovery well had an original potential of 144 barrels a day from depth of 7,050 feet. It was deepened to 7,088 feet and recompleted March 14, 1935, with a new potential of 518 barrels. Through 1966, A. D. Middleton No. 1 has produced in excess of 390,000 barrels of oil. Over 177 million barrels of oil and 268 billion cubic feet of gas have been produced from the field. (In Chambers County, a pioneer oil producing area, over 475 million barrels of oil have been produced since 1916.) At present, there are 408 wells in the Anahuac field, and it is expected that production will continue into the 21st century. Incise in Base: Erected by Chambers County Historical Survey Committee, Guy C. Jackson III, Chairman
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The prolific Anahuac field was brought in on March 3, 1935, when Humble Oil & Refining's A.D. Middleton No. 1 struck oil in a highly faulted salt-dome structure beneath the rice and grazing lands of Chambers County. A company camp housed the crews who developed the field, which reached peak output during World War II — nearly 12 million barrels in 1944 alone. Over its life the field yielded more than 177 million barrels of oil and hundreds of billions of cubic feet of gas.
Why it matters
The Gulf Coast oil booms of the early 20th century transformed Texas into an energy powerhouse and fueled American industry through two world wars.
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Themes & tags
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