1984 Map of Oil Center

About this map

Oil Center serves as the focal point for this intensive look at the Permian Basin's industrial landscape in the mid-1980s. The region is defined by a dense network of extraction, where the Monument Jal Oil Field and San Simon Field overlap a landscape dotted with specific named wells like the Scarbrough Well, Amerada Well, and Knowles Well. This survey reveals the complex infrastructure required for desert operations, from the sprawling Pipeline networks to the numerous water sources such as Urssey Tank, Sheep Tank, and the Rock Lake Reservoir. In an area where terrain is subtly marked by depressions like Dry Lake and North Lake, the map provides an exact accounting of the energy economy's footprint, documenting dozens of individual Oil Wells and Drill Holes that shaped the character of Lea County during this era of production.