Gulf Burnett No. 2 (Carson County Oil Discovery Well)
Panhandle, Carson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1 mile southeast) The Panhandle's first oil well, Gulf Burnett No. 2, was struck by the Gulf Production Company on May 2, 1921, on the 6666 Ranch of S. B. Burnett. The prediction of oil in this area by U.S. geologists in 1904 and the discovery of natural gas nearby in 1918 induced Amarillo businessmen to finance Burnett No. 2. Though the first oil was of poor quality, major oil discoveries in the nearby Borger and South Pampa fields in 1926 spurred a regional oil boom and established the Panhandle as one of Texas' richest petroleum areas. Carson County has produced 150 million barrels of oil since 1921. (1993)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Guided by geologists' 1904 prediction of oil and the 1918 discovery of nearby natural gas, Amarillo businessmen financed the drilling of Gulf Burnett No. 2 on S. B. Burnett's famous 6666 Ranch. On May 2, 1921, the Gulf Production Company struck the Panhandle's first oil here. Though that initial crude was poor, major strikes at Borger and South Pampa in 1926 ignited a regional boom that made the Panhandle one of Texas's richest oil regions.
Why it matters
This well opened the Texas Panhandle oil fields, a discovery that reshaped the state's economy and helped fuel America's 20th-century rise as a petroleum superpower.
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Related people
- · S. B. Burnett
Related events
- · Panhandle oil boom
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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