The Million Barrel Tank Museum, Monahans Sandhills State Park, the Odessa Meteor Crater, and the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland all offer great sightseeing options for geos visiting this oil and gas hub.
This week we’ll head to West Texas, an area underlain by the rocks of the Permian Basin, the largest petroleum-producing basin in the United States. The region admittedly has a reputation for not being much of a tourist destination, but there is plenty for the adventuring geo (or just the geoscientist with extra time during a work trip or project) to see and enjoy! Let’s take a look at some highlights in Monahans, Midland, and Odessa.
Sharon Lyon
Editor, GeoLifestyle
Million Barrel Museum, Monahans
Old postcard of the "Million Barrel Tank, Monahans, Texas;" Courtesy of Jeff Spencer.
History of the Million Barrel Tank: A West Texas oil boom in 1928 in the Permian Basin left Roxana Petroleum Co., a branch of Royal Dutch Shell, with nowhere to store its abundant oil. This problem led to the construction of the Million Barrel Tank in Monahans, a town roughly 35 minutes west of Odessa.
Although called a “tank,” the storage facility was a giant reservoir dug into the ground. It is the size of three football fields and was excavated using mule-drawn equipment. Wire mesh was laid over the earth and tons of concrete poured. A domed wooden roof covered the top.
Engineers designed the reservoir to hold 5 million barrels of oil. It was filled with one million barrels just once. Because of the weight of the oil, the concrete began to crack, and the oil seeped into the ground. Despite the roof, it also evaporated. The little oil that remained was pumped out and the reservoir abandoned.
Becoming a museum:
A local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Long, purchased the property in 1957, hoping to turn it into a water park. The reservoir was filled with water, and the park opened on October 5, 1958. Leaks at the seams forced the park to close after only one day.
The site was donated to the Ward County Historical Commission, and the Million Barrel Museum opened in 1987.
What to see:
At the museum, you can learn more about the construction and history of the tank. One section of the dome is now an amphitheater and has been used as a venue for tailgate parties, musical concerts, an annual fajita cook-off, and Christmas events. Check the dates of your visit to see if any fun, special events may be going on.
The Holman House: The site also houses the former family home of Eugene Holman, the chief geologist of Humble Oil Co. and eventual president of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. He was named Time’s International Oilman of 1947.
Other historical attractions on the property include Monahan’s first jail, a museum featuring oilfield artifacts, and the Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum, which tells the story of the WWII-era Pyote Army Airfield.
In celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, AAPG and MicroSeismic are showcasing interviews from women leaders. This week's featured leader is Anna Krylova, a geophysicist from MicroSeismic. Here is a sneak peek from her interview:
“What still amuses me every day about geoscience is how much we know about Earth and the subsurface—and at the same time, how little. We still discover new oilfields; technology advances and we get something new even from old fields where wells were drilled for ages.”
Hiking the dunes at Monahans Sandhills State Park; Courtesy of Jeff Spencer.
Covering 4,000 acres of sand dunes, Monahans Sandhills State Park offers a close-up view of a unique desert environment. The park is only a small portion of a dune field that extends about 200 miles from Texas into New Mexico, known as the “Sahara of the South.”
Park highlights:
Many dunes in the park—some up to 50 feet tall—are still active, and they grow and change shape due to prevailing winds.
Fresh water occurs at shallow depths within the dune field, sometimes seeping up through the sand to stand in low areas between dunes. These seeps at dusk or dawn are the best places to observe wildlife such as badgers and kangaroo rats.
The park is the home of the world’s largest oak “forest.” Occupying 40,000 acres, the miniature Harvard Oak (Quercus havardii) grows as a thicket-forming shrub. It helps stabilize the dunes and provides cover and food for wildlife.
More available activities:
Learn about the park at the Dunagan Visitor Center, which features hands-on exhibits around the cultural and natural history of the Sandhills, including dune dynamics, Permian Basin heritage, and wildlife habitats.
Park visitors can hike or explore on horseback. There are also opportunities to rent sand disks and surf the dunes.
Odessa Meteor Crater
The Odessa Meteor Crater is the largest of three craters formed by the impact of thousands of nickel-iron meteorites known as octahedrites. The impact is estimated to have occurred around 63,500 years ago.
More than 1,500 meteorites have been recovered from the surrounding area over the years, the largest of which weighed approximately 300 pounds. Excavations in the main crater confirm that there is no meteorite mass underground.
The impact of the meteorites displaced Cretaceous limestone, lifting it fifty feet above its original position, faulting it, and folding it vertically.
The crater covers 10 acres, and although it was originally 100 feet deep, it has been infilled by sediment to a depth of 15 feet.
How to visit: To see the crater, walk the short loop trail. You can also view the displays of meteorites, tektites, and other material pertaining to meteor craters at the new Visitors Center.
Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Midland
Part of the outdoor exhibit area at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum; Courtesy of the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
Founded in 1975, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland tells the story of petroleum and its pioneers. The impact of petroleum on our daily lives is shared through interactive exhibits, game-based learning, educational programs, an archives center, and the Petroleum Hall of Fame.
Museum highlights:
Visit a 1930’s Boom Town that brings Midland to life with an array of artifacts.
Immerse yourself in a 360-degree panorama of the Permian Sea.
Journey across land, through space, and under the sea to find new sources of petroleum in the PetroTrekker.
Meander through the mineral hall, art gallery, and a gallery featuring Chaparral racing cars.
Must-see: The museum’s 40-acre outdoor exhibit area of drilling rigs and related equipment is the largest of its type in the world.
Petroleum History Field Trip Opportunity
Zhengzaishuru/ Shutterstock.com
West Texas has a rich history in the discovery and production of petroleum. I chatted with geologist Jeff Spencer (Sentinel Energy), a member of the Petroleum History Institute, and chair for their upcomingOil History Symposium & Field Trip, which will be held in Midland/Odessa, Texas on March 30–April 1, 2025.
You can email editorial@aapg.org to connect with Spencer if you are interested in joining the field trip.
👍 If you enjoyed this edition of GeoLifestyle, consider supporting AAPG's brand of newsletters by forwarding to a friend or colleague and signing up for our other newsletters here.
➡️ Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up for GeoLifestyle here.
AAPG thanks our advertisers for their support. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. If you're interested in supporting AAPG digital products, reach out to Melissa Roberts.
