Weir No. 1 Oil Well

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say, right out there in Upton County. Now settle in, because this one's got some numbers that'll make your eyes go wide. We're talking about the Weir No. 1 Oil Well, and the marker wastes no time putting it in its place.

Except for the original Yates Ranch gusher of 1926, this was the most dramatic oil discovery in Upton County. That's the company it keeps. The Yates Ranch gusher.

Think about that for a second. Second place in that particular race is still quite a race to finish. Weir No. 1 came in on December 6, 1961, about three and a half miles west of where that marker stands.

The well was drilled down to a depth of 12,432 feet, then plugged back at 9,925 feet. And what it produced from down there, producing from the upper, middle, and lower strawn zones, and from the bend, with perforations in the lower detrital gas zone, made it the first quadruple completion petroleum engineers had ever seen. First.

And the people tracking such things called it the most important development of the year 1961, and the most prolific discovery in many years. The contractor doing the drilling was Brahaney Drilling Co. The discovery itself was made by E.

G. Rodman, W. D.

Noel, and the Odessa Natural Gasoline Company, a company Rodman and Noel had founded together, affiliated with El Paso Natural Gas Products Co. Now those two men, Rodman and Noel, had begun their Upton County operations all the way back in 1940. And over the years, they were led in the establishment of a vast petrochemical complex out in Odessa.

That complex put petroleum by-products to work making things like plastics, things that had once been scrapped as waste. That's the quiet part of this story right there, turning what used to get thrown away into something the modern world can't seem to do without. And because of that kind of leadership, and because of wells like Weir No. 1, Upton County held its place for many years as one of the outstanding production areas in all of Texas.

Second only to a gusher. And still legendary in its own right.

What the marker says

Except for the original Yates Ranch gusher of 1926, most dramatic oil discovery in Upton County. Brought in December 6, 1961. West of this site 3.5 miles. First quadruple completion of petroleum engineers the most important development of the year 1961-- and the most prolific discovery in many years. Drilled to depth of 12,432 feet. Plugged back at 9,925 feet. Produces from upper, middle and lower strawn zones, and from the bend, with perforations in lower detrital gas zone. Contractor was Brahaney Drilling Co. Discovery made by E. G. Rodman, W. D. Noel and Odessa Natural Gasoline Co., founded by Rodman and Noel, and affiliated with El Paso Natural Gas Products Co. Rodman and Noel, who began their Upton County operations in 1940, have been led in the establishment of a vast petrochemical complex in Odessa. This utilizes in the making of such things as plastics, many petroleum by-products once scrapped as waste. Such leadership and such wells as Weir No. 1 have enabled Upton County to remain for many years one of the outstanding production areas in Texas. (1964)