DUANE
Duane's take
The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Rodman-Noel Oil Field in Upton County, Texas. Now, West Texas has a way of keeping its secrets buried deep — sometimes a mile deep, sometimes deeper. But every now and then, two men with the right instincts and a good drill string come along and convince the earth to give something up.
The year was 1953. E. G.
Rodman and W. D. Noel weren't newcomers to the oil business.
Not by a long stretch. Rodman had become an independent producer in Texas back in 1938. Noel followed, becoming an independent in 1940.
By the time these two set their sights on Upton County, they were veterans — experienced in various phases of petroleum development, with interests reaching into international exploration and the manufacture of petrochemicals. These were men who understood the ground beneath their feet. They spudded their initial well about two and a half miles south of where this marker stands.
They called it the No. 1 Radford Grocery. And on January 13, 1953, they completed it. What came up out of the Grayburg formation, at a total depth of 1,744 feet, was something worth paying attention to — a natural flowing potential of 960 barrels in 24 hours.
The well sits 1,980 feet from the south and west lines of Section 1 of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Survey, in Railroad Commission District 7C. Those are the particulars. But the story doesn't stop there.
That first well was just the opening act. Because the field that bore Rodman and Noel's names went on to include a number of wells completed for natural potentials in excess of 3,000 barrels a day. Three thousand barrels.
A day. Each. More than three times what that first well showed.
The earth, it turned out, had quite a lot left to say. Now here's the thing that puts it all in perspective. The marker notes that Rodman and Noel opened this field 28 years later than the great boom in McCamey.
Upton County had already been producing. The county's total from 1925 to 1960 reached 272,628,476 barrels — and this field contributed substantially to that number. Two veterans, a drill, a formation called Grayburg, and a well named after a grocery store.
That's how Upton County kept adding to a total that, frankly, doesn't need any embellishing.
What the marker says
Discovered 1953. Initial well, about 2-1/2 miles south of this spot, was drilled by E. G. Rodman and W. D. Noel as No. 1 Radford Grocery. It was completed January 13, 1953, for a natural flowing potential of 960 barrels in 24 hours, from Grayburg formation and at total depth of 1744 feet it is located 1980 feet from the south and west lines of section 1 of the gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe survey in railroad commission district 7C. The field has a number of well completed for natural potentials in excess of 3,000 barrels a day. The drillers Rodman and Noel were oil business veterans at the time they brought in this Upton County field. Already experienced in various phases of petroleum development, E. G. Rodman became an independent producer in Texas in 1938. W. D. Noel became an independent producer in Texas in 1940. Their interests extend into international exploration and other phases of oil development, including manufacture of petrochemicals. Their opening of this field -- which contributed substantially to the 1925-60 Upton County total of 272,628,476 barrels of production-- was made 28 years later than the great boom in McCamey.