UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549


                                    FORM 10-Q


/ x /           Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                    of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

               For the quarterly period ended March 31, 1997

                                       or

/   /          Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                For the transition period from _______ to _______

                           Commission File No. 2-90417


                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


                  Texas                                  75-1974814
   (State or other jurisdiction of                    (I.R.S. Employer
   incorporation or organization)                 Identification Number)


303 West Wall, Suite 101, Midland, Texas                    79701
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip code)

     Registrant's Telephone Number, including area code : (915) 683-4768


                                 Not applicable
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  Registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days.

                                Yes / x / No /  /

                               Page 1 of 10 pages.

                             -There are no exhibits-


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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                         Page
                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.     Financial Statements

            Balance Sheets as of March 31, 1997 and
              December 31, 1996........................................    3

            Statements of Operations for the three months
              ended March 31, 1997 and 1996............................    4

            Statement of Partners' Capital for the three months
              ended March 31, 1997.....................................    5

            Statements of Cash Flows for the three months
              ended March 31, 1997 and 1996............................    6

            Notes to Financial Statements..............................    7

Item 2.      Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial

               Condition and Results of Operations.....................    7
               


                           Part II. Other Information

Item 6.     Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K...........................    9

            27.    Financial Data Schedule

            Signatures.................................................   10


                                        2

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.   Financial Statements

                                 BALANCE SHEETS

                                                   March 31,      December 31,
                                                     1997             1996
                                                  -----------     ------------
                                                 (Unaudited)
                         ASSETS

Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents, including interest
     bearing deposits of $210,041 at March 31,
     and $161,973 at December 31                 $    210,541    $     162,473
  Accounts receivable - oil and gas sales             232,806          330,344
                                                  -----------     ------------
           Total current assets                       443,347          492,817
                                                  -----------     ------------

Oil and gas properties - at cost, based on the
  successful efforts accounting method             18,208,392       18,207,994
Accumulated depletion                             (14,343,438)     (14,264,426)
                                                  -----------      -----------
           Net oil and gas properties               3,864,954        3,943,568
                                                  ------------     -----------

                                                 $  4,308,301    $   4,436,385
                                                  ===========     ============

LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL

Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable - affiliate                   $     45,811    $      44,799

Partners' capital:
  General partners                                    466,485          490,387
  Limited partners (19,435 interests)               3,796,005        3,901,199
                                                  -----------     ------------
                                                    4,262,490        4,391,586
                                                  -----------     ------------

                                                 $  4,308,301    $   4,436,385
                                                  ===========     ============

  The financial information included as of March 31, 1997 has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        3

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                                   (Unaudited)




                                                      Three months ended
                                                           March 31,
                                                     1997           1996
                                                  --------       --------
Revenues:
  Oil and gas                                    $ 459,453      $ 422,643
  Interest                                           2,928          1,923
                                                  --------       --------
                                                   462,381        424,566
                                                  --------       --------
Costs and expenses:
  Oil and gas production                           227,675        241,442
  General and administrative                        15,298         12,929
  Depletion                                         79,012         89,127
                                                  --------       --------
                                                   321,985        343,498
                                                  --------       --------

Net income                                       $ 140,396      $  81,068
                                                  ========       ========
Allocation of net income:
  General partners                               $  47,353      $  33,699
                                                  ========       ========

  Limited partners                               $  93,043      $  47,369
                                                  ========       ========

Net income per limited partnership interest      $    4.79      $    2.44
                                                  ========       ========

Distributions per limited partnership interest   $   10.20      $    6.00
                                                  ========       ========

         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        4

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                         STATEMENT OF PARTNERS' CAPITAL
                                   (Unaudited)




                                 General        Limited
                                partners       partners        Total
                                --------      ----------     -----------


Balance at January 1, 1997     $ 490,387     $ 3,901,199    $  4,391,586

   Distributions                 (71,255)       (198,237)       (269,492)

   Net income                     47,353          93,043         140,396
                                --------      ----------     -----------

Balance at March 31, 1997      $ 466,485     $ 3,796,005    $  4,262,490
                                ========      ==========     ===========







         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
          management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        5

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                   (Unaudited)



                                                          Three months ended
                                                                March 31
                                                        ----------------------
                                                          1997          1996
                                                       ---------      --------

Cash flows from operating activities:                               
  Net income                                          $  140,396     $  81,068
  Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
     cash provided by operating activities:
       Depletion                                          79,012        89,127
  Changes in assets and liabilities:
     (Increase) decrease in accounts receivable           97,538       (10,711)
     Increase (decrease) in accounts payable               1,012       (42,988)
                                                       ---------       --------

          Net cash provided by operating activities      317,958       116,496
                                                       ---------      --------

Cash flows from investing activities:
  Additions to oil and gas properties                       (398)         (864)

Cash flows from financing activities:
  Cash distributions to partners                        (269,492)     (153,716)
                                                       ----------     --------

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents      48,068       (38,084)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period         162,473       157,388
                                                       ---------      --------

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period            $  210,541     $ 119,304
                                                       =========     =========



         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        6

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                 March 31, 1997
                                   (Unaudited)

Note 1.     Organization and nature of operations

Parker &  Parsley  84-A,  Ltd.  (the  "Partnership")  is a  limited  partnership
organized in 1984 under the laws of the State of Texas.

The Partnership  engages  primarily in oil and gas development and production in
Texas and is not involved in any industry segment other than oil and gas.

Note 2.     Basis of presentation

In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial statements as of March 31,
1997 of the Partnership  include all adjustments and accruals consisting only of
normal recurring accrual adjustments which are necessary for a fair presentation
of the results for the interim  period.  However,  these interim results are not
necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

The  financial  statements  should  be read in  conjunction  with the  financial
statements and the notes thereto contained in the  Partnership's  Report on Form
10-K for the year ended  December 31,  1996,  as filed with the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission,  a copy of which is  available  upon request by writing to
Steven L. Beal, Senior Vice President,  303 West Wall, Suite 101, Midland, Texas
79701.

Item 2.     Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
                and Results of Operations (1)

Results of Operations

Revenues:

The Partnership's  oil and gas revenues  increased to $459,453 from $422,643 for
the three  months  ended March 31, 1997 and 1996,  respectively,  an increase of
$36,810,  or 9%. The increase in revenues resulted from increases in the average
prices received per barrel of oil and mcf of gas and a slight increase in mcf of
gas  produced  and sold,  offset by a 4% decline in barrels of oil  produced and
sold. For the three months ended March 31, 1997, 15,143 barrels of oil were sold
compared to 15,792 for the same period in 1996, a decrease of 649  barrels.  For
the three months ended March 31, 1997,  55,747 mcf of gas were sold  compared to
54,576 for the same period in 1996,  an increase of 1,171 mcf.  The  decrease in
oil production  volumes was primarily due to the decline  characteristics of the
Partnership's oil properties.  The increase in gas production volumes was due to
operational  changes on several of the Partnership's gas properties.  Management
expects a certain  amount of  decline  in  production  in the  future  until the
Partnership's economically recoverable reserves are fully depleted.

                                        7

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The average  price  received per barrel of oil  increased  $2.45,  or 13%,  from
$19.23 for the three  months  ended March 31, 1996 to $21.68 for the same period
in 1997.  The average  price  received  per mcf of gas  increased  8% from $2.18
during the three  months  ended  March 31,  1996 to $2.35 for the same period in
1997. The market price for oil and gas has been  extremely  volatile in the past
decade, and management expects a certain amount of volatility to continue in the
foreseeable  future.  The  Partnership may therefore sell its future oil and gas
production at average prices lower or higher than that received during the three
months ended March 31, 1997.

Costs and Expenses:

Total costs and expenses  decreased to $321,985 for the three months ended March
31,  1997 as compared  to  $343,498  for the same  period in 1996,  a decline of
$21,513,  or 6%.  This  decline was due to  decreases  in  production  costs and
depletion, offset by an increase in general and administrative expenses ("G&A").

Production  costs were  $227,675  for the three  months ended March 31, 1997 and
$241,442 for the same period in 1996 resulting in a $13,767 decrease, or 6%. The
decrease primarily consisted of less well repair and maintenance costs.

G&A's  components are independent  accounting and engineering  fees and managing
general  partner  personnel  and  operating  costs.   During  this  period,  G&A
increased,  in aggregate,  18% from $12,929 for the three months ended March 31,
1996 to $15,298 for the same period in 1997.

Depletion  was $79,012  for the three  months  ended March 31, 1997  compared to
$89,127 for the same period in 1996, a decrease of $10,115, or 11%. The decrease
is primarily  attributable  to an upward  revision in oil and gas reserves and a
decline in oil  production  of 649 barrels for the three  months ended March 31,
1997 compared to the same period in 1996.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating  activities  increased  $201,462 during the three
months ended March 31, 1997 from the same period in 1996.  This increase was due
to an increase in oil and gas sales  receipts and a decline in  production  cost
expenditures.



                                        8

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Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

The Partnership's  principal investing  activity  during the three months  ended
March 31,  1997 and 1996  was for equipment replacement  on various  oil and gas
properties.

Net Cash Used in Financing Activities

Cash  was  sufficient  for the  three  months  ended  March  31,  1997 to  cover
distributions  to the partners of $269,492 of which $198,237 was  distributed to
the limited  partners and $71,255 to the general  partners.  For the same period
ended March 31, 1996, cash was sufficient for  distributions  to the partners of
$153,716 of which $116,609 was  distributed to the limited  partners and $37,107
to the general partners.

It is expected  that future net cash  provided by operating  activities  will be
sufficient for any capital expenditures and any distributions. As the production
from the properties declines, distributions are also expected to decrease.

---------------

(1)    "Item 2. Management's  Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
       Results of Operations"  contains forward looking  statements that involve
       risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that the
       actual  events and  results  will not be  materially  different  than the
       anticipated results described in the forward looking statements.



                           Part II. Other Information

Item 6.     Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)   Exhibits

      27.   Financial Data Schedule

(b)   Reports on Form 8-K - none


                                        9

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                           PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)



                               S I G N A T U R E S



       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                      PARKER & PARSLEY 84-A, LTD.

                                  By: Parker & Parsley Development L.P.,
                                      Managing General Partner

                                      By: Parker & Parsley Petroleum USA, Inc.
                                          ("PPUSA"), General Partner




Dated:  May 9, 1997               By: /s/ Steven L. Beal
                                      -------------------------------------
                                      Steven L. Beal, Senior Vice President
                                      and Chief Financial Officer of PPUSA


                                       10

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