Near Conroe in Montgomery County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Conroe Oil Field
Strake's second well, a 900-barrel-a-day producer, and the Heep Oil Corp. No. 1 Freeman (both coming in during June 1932) proved existence of a large field. Fast-paced drilling ensued.
In January 1933, Madeley No. 1, of Kansas Standard, came in as a wild well and on fire. TNT charges and tons of earth did not smother the fire; it burned about three months. Cratering spread to Harrison and Abercrombie well nearby, and that gushed out of control.
In January 1934, a driller for Humble "killed the blowout," by using directional drilling for first time in coastal Texas. This saved the field. (The crater is 600 feet deep.)
The Conroe field was the first in Texas to adopt 20-acre spacing, before this was mandatory under conservation rules. It has yielded over 400,000,000 barrels of oil; now produces at the yearly rate of 5,300,000 barrels.
After the dramatic discovery here, Montgomery County developed eleven other oil fields, and has reserves for continuing production.
Erected 1967 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7869.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is December 13, 1931.
Location. 30° 17.601′ N, 95° 23.061′ W. Marker is near Conroe, Texas, in Montgomery County. Marker is at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 3083 and Albert Moorehead Road, on the left when traveling north on Road 3083. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12464 FM 3083, Conroe TX 77302, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Isaac Conroe Property (approx. 4.3 miles away); Conroe Telephone Exchange (approx. 4˝ miles away); Conroe Fire of 1911 (approx. 4˝ miles away); Montgomery County Courthouses (approx. 4.6 miles away); Conroe (approx. 4.6 miles away); The W.A. "Bay" Evans Home (approx. 4.7 miles away); Strake-Gray Oilfield House (approx. 5.6 miles away); Strake-Gray Roughneck Bunkhouse (approx. 5.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Conroe.
Also see . . . Conroe Oilfield - The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) (Submitted on May 24, 2021, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2021, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. This page has been viewed 672 times since then and 161 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 24, 2021, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas.