TITLE: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil at Santa Rita No. 1.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil at Santa Rita No. 1.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, May 28, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil in Reagan County at the Santa Rita No. 1 oil well, an event that sparked a wave of exploration and development that would transform the Permian Basin into one of the most productive oil fields in the world; and WHEREAS, Santa Rita No. 1 is located on land in Reagan County that the State of Texas set aside for the support of public higher education in Texas, initially for The University of Texas System and later for The Texas A&M University System; the land was later leased to El Pasoans Frank T. Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, who solicited funding from investors to build a drilling operation; the first oil test on the Group No. 1 acreage was named after Santa Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes, and drilling commenced at the site on January 8, 1921; and WHEREAS, For 646 days, the cable-tool rig broke through the ground at a pace of under five feet per day, while a two-man crew bailed the hole; late on May 27, 1923, driller Carl Cromwell ordered the shutdown of the well when he saw gas bubbles escaping from the casinghead, a sign that they had struck oil; his suspicions were confirmed early the following day, when a fountain of oil erupted over the rig's derrick, covering a 250-yard area around the site; the news of the find soon spread to local residents and scouts from major oil companies, and continued exploration would reveal further oil reserves on the land; other spectacular oil discoveries throughout the region would follow, which would make the Permian Basin the epicenter of petroleum production in the United States for decades to come; and WHEREAS, In 1940, the Texas State Historical Association oversaw the relocation of the original Santa Rita rig to The University of Texas at Austin campus for preservation purposes; oil continued to be pumped from the Santa Rita well for nearly 67 years, before the well finally reached the end of its production life and was plugged in 1990; and WHEREAS, The discovery of oil at Santa Rita No. 1 had a profound and transformative impact on the State of Texas and on the higher education entities, The University of Texas System and later The Texas A&M University System, that shared in the benefit of the find, and the far-reaching effects of this watershed moment in Texas history continue to be seen to this day; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil at Santa Rita No. 1 and pay tribute to the well's historical significance and enduring legacy. Darby Landgraf King of Hemphill Morales of Maverick Murr Craddick President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 68 was adopted by the House on March 8, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 68 was adopted by the Senate on March 13, 2023, by a viva-voce vote. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor