1973 Map of Dean Ranch

About this map

Tulk Oil Field dominates this section of the High Plains in Lea County, revealing a landscape heavily shaped by energy extraction during the early 1970s. The terrain is characterized by a dense network of industrial infrastructure, including numerous Oil Wells and Drill Holes that suggest a period of active exploration and production. Apart from the namesake Dean Ranch, the area is largely devoid of concentrated settlements, defined instead by the straight lines of a Pipeline and a sparse system of improved and unimproved roads. The survey captures a moment of intensive mineral development in southeastern New Mexico, where the natural topography of the Llano Estacado is overlaid with the grid of oil and gas ventures. A Gravel Pit further indicates the local material extraction necessary to support the region's industrial growth and road network.