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 September 30, 1996

                                       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. 33-19133-A


                PARKER & PARSLEY PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                     Delaware                                 75-2225758
        (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 11 pages.
                             -There are no exhibits-


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                PARKER & PARSLEY PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                      Page
                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.     Financial Statements

            Balance Sheets as of September 30, 1996 and
               December 31, 1995   .................................    3

            Statements of Operations for the three and nine
              months ended September 30, 1996 and 1995..............    4

            Statement of Partners' Capital for the nine months
              ended September 30, 1996..............................    5

            Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended
              September 30, 1996 and 1995...........................    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.......................................   10

              Signatures............................................   11




                                        2

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                PARKER & PARSLEY PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware Limited Partnership)

                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.   Financial Statements

                                 BALANCE SHEETS

                                                 September 30,     December 31,
                                                     1996              1995
                                                  (Unaudited)
                 ASSETS

Current assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents, including
     interest bearing deposits of $411,418
     at September 30 and $444,066 at
     December 31                               $      411,618    $     444,066
   Accounts receivable - affiliate                    120,420           74,105
                                                 ------------      -----------

           Total current assets                       532,038          518,171
                                                 ------------      -----------

Oil and gas properties - at cost, based on
   the successful efforts accounting method         4,842,434        4,834,585
     Accumulated depletion                         (2,884,568)      (2,774,101)
                                                 ------------      -----------

           Net oil and gas properties               1,957,866        2,060,484
                                                 ------------      -----------

                                               $    2,489,904    $   2,578,655
                                                =============     ============

            PARTNERS' CAPITAL

Partners' capital:
   Limited partners (11,222 interests)         $    2,465,334    $   2,553,220
   Managing general partner                            24,570           25,435
                                                 ------------      -----------

                                               $    2,489,904    $   2,578,655
                                                =============     ============

  The financial information included as of September 30, 1996 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 PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                                   (Unaudited)



                                 Three months ended        Nine months ended
                                    September 30,             September 30,
                                ---------------------     ---------------------
                                  1996         1995         1996        1995
                                ---------   ---------     ---------   ---------

Revenues:
   Oil and gas                  $ 224,719   $ 157,750     $ 650,538   $ 559,944
   Interest                         4,946       6,916        14,385      18,712
                                 --------    --------      --------    --------

                                  229,665     164,666       664,923     578,656
                                 --------    --------      --------    --------
Costs and expenses:
   Oil and gas production          93,844      89,439       262,819     271,285
   General and administrative       6,741       4,732        19,516      16,798
   Depletion                       32,231      43,066       110,467     201,432
                                 --------    --------      --------    --------

                                  132,816     137,237       392,802     489,515
                                 --------    --------      --------    --------

Net income                      $  96,849   $  27,429     $ 272,121   $  89,141
                                 ========    ========      ========    ========
Allocation of net income:
   Managing general partner     $     968   $     274     $   2,721   $     891
                                 ========    ========      ========    ========

   Limited partners             $  95,881   $  27,155     $ 269,400   $  88,250
                                 ========    ========      ========    ========
Net income per limited
   partnership interest         $    8.55   $    2.42     $   24.01   $    7.86
                                 ========    ========      ========    ========
Distributions per limited
   partnership interest         $   11.33   $   10.49     $   31.84   $   29.64
                                 ========    ========      ========    ========

         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 PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware Limited Partnership)

                         STATEMENT OF PARTNERS' CAPITAL
                                   (Unaudited)




                                     Managing
                                     general       Limited
                                     partner       partners          Total
                                    ---------     -----------     -----------

Balance at January 1, 1996          $  25,435     $ 2,553,220     $ 2,578,655

    Distributions                      (3,586)       (357,286)       (360,872)

    Net income                          2,721         269,400         272,121
                                      -------       ---------      ----------

Balance at September 30, 1996       $  24,570     $ 2,465,334     $ 2,489,904
                                     ========      ==========      ==========






         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 PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                   (Unaudited)


                                                        Nine months ended
                                                          September 30,
                                                       1996           1995
                                                    ----------     ----------
Cash flows from operating activities:

 Net income                                       $  272,121     $   89,141
 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
   cash provided by operating activities:
    Depletion                                        110,467        201,432
 Changes in assets:
    (Increase) decrease in accounts receivable       (46,315)        60,940
                                                   ---------      ---------

       Net cash provided by operations               336,273        351,513
                                                   ---------      ---------

Cash flows from investing activities:

   Additions to oil and gas properties                (7,849)        (1,252)

Cash flows from financing activities:

   Cash distributions to partners                   (360,872)      (335,873)
                                                   ---------      ---------

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash
  equivalents                                        (32,448)        14,388
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning
  of period                                          444,066        454,847
                                                   ---------      ---------

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period        $  411,618     $  469,235
                                                   =========      =========




         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 PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware Limited Partnership)

                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                               September 30, 1996
                                   (Unaudited)

Note 1.

Parker & Parsley Producing Properties 88-A, L.P. (the "Registrant") is a limited
partnership organized in 1988 under the laws of the State of Delaware.

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

Note 2.

In the opinion of management, the Registrant's unaudited financial statements as
of September 30, 1996 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 1996
and  1995  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.  These  interim  results  are not  necessarily
indicative of results for a full year.

Certain  information  and  footnote  disclosure  normally  included in financial
statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting  principles
have been  condensed  or  omitted  in this Form 10-Q  pursuant  to the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The financial statements
should  be read in  conjunction  with the  financial  statements  and the  notes
thereto  contained  in the  Registrant's  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1995, 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 103, Midland, Texas 79701.

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

Results of Operations

Nine months ended  September 30, 1996 compared with nine months ended  September
  30, 1995

Revenues:

The  Registrant's  oil and gas revenues  increased to $650,538 from $559,944 for
the nine months ended September 30, 1996 and 1995, respectively,  an increase of
16%. The increase in revenues  resulted from higher average prices  received per
barrel of oil and mcf of gas,  offset by a 3% decline in barrels of oil produced
and sold and a 14% decline in mcf of gas produced and sold.

For the nine months ended  September 30, 1996,  23,091  barrels of oil were sold
compared to 23,745 for the same period in 1995, a decrease of 654  barrels.  For

                                        7

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the nine months ended  September 30, 1996,  77,668 mcf of gas were sold compared
to 89,925 for the same period in 1995, a decrease of 12,257 mcf.  Because of the
decline  characteristics of the Registrant's oil and gas properties,  management
expects a certain  amount of decline in  production  to  continue  in the future
until the Registrant's economically recoverable reserves are fully depleted.

The average  price  received per barrel of oil  increased  $3.49,  or 20%,  from
$17.30  for the nine  months  ended  September  30,  1995 to $20.79 for the same
period in 1996 while the average  price  received per mcf of gas  increased  32%
from $1.66 during the nine months ended September 30, 1995 to $2.19 in 1996. 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  Registrant may therefore sell its future oil and gas production at
average  prices lower or higher than that received  during the nine months ended
September 30, 1996.

Costs and Expenses:

Total  costs and  expenses  decreased  to  $392,802  for the nine  months  ended
September  30,  1996 as compared  to  $489,515  for the same  period in 1995,  a
decrease of $96,713,  or 20%. This decrease resulted from declines in production
costs and  depletion,  offset  by an  increase  in  general  and  administrative
expenses ("G&A").

Production  costs were $262,819 for the nine months ended September 30, 1996 and
$271,285 for the same period in 1995 resulting in an $8,466 decrease, or 3%. The
decrease was primarily due to a reduction in well repair and maintenance costs.

G&A's  components are  independent  accounting and  engineering  fees,  computer
services,  postage and managing  general partner  personnel  costs.  During this
period, G&A increased, in aggregate,  16% from $16,798 for the nine months ended
September  30,  1995 to $19,516  for the same  period in 1996.  The  Partnership
agreement limits G&A to 3% of gross oil and gas revenues.

Depletion was $110,467 for the nine months ended  September 30, 1996 compared to
$201,432  for the same period in 1995,  representing  a decrease of $90,965,  or
45%. This decrease was primarily  attributable to the following  factors:  (i) a
reduction  in the  Registrant's  net  depletable  basis  from  charges  taken in
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.121,  "Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of" ("FAS 121"),  (ii) a reduction in oil production of 654 barrels for the nine
months  ended  September  30, 1996 as  compared to the same period in 1995,  and
(iii) an increase in oil and gas reserves  during the third quarter of 1996 as a
result of higher commodity prices.

Three months ended September 30, 1996 compared with three months ended September
  30, 1995

Revenues:

The  Registrant's  oil and gas revenues  increased to $224,719 from $157,750 for
the three months ended September 30, 1996 and 1995, respectively, an increase of
42%.  The  increase in revenues resulted from a  15%  increase in barrels of oil

                                        8

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produced and sold and higher average prices  received per barrel and oil and mcf
of gas,  offset by a 12% decline in mcf of gas produced and sold.  For the three
months ended  September  30, 1996,  7,711  barrels of oil were sold  compared to
6,722 for the same period in 1995,  an increase of 989 barrels,  resulting  from
operational  changes on several wells.  For the three months ended September 30,
1996,  26,415 mcf of gas were sold  compared  to 30,158  for the same  period in
1995,  a decrease  of 3,743 mcf.  The decline in gas  production  was due to the
decline characteristics of the oil and gas properties.

The average price received per barrel of oil increased $5.26, or 32% from $16.55
for the three months ended  September  30, 1995 to $21.81 for the same period in
1996,  while the average price  received per mcf of gas increased 39% from $1.54
during the three months ended September 30, 1995 to $2.14 in 1996.

Costs and Expenses:

Total costs and  expenses  decreased  to  $132,816  for the three  months  ended
September  30,  1996 as compared  to  $137,237  for the same  period in 1995,  a
decrease of $4,421,  or 3%.  This  decrease  was due to a decline in  depletion,
offset by additional production costs and G&A.

Production  costs were $93,844 for the three months ended September 30, 1996 and
$89,439 for the same period in 1995, resulting in a $4,405 increase,  or 5%. The
increase was primarily  attributable to additional  production  taxes due to the
increase in oil and gas revenues.

G&A's  components are  independent  accounting and  engineering  fees,  computer
services,  postage and managing  general partner  personnel  costs.  During this
period, G&A increased, in aggregate,  42% from $4,732 for the three months ended
September 30, 1995 to $6,741 for the same period in 1996.

Depletion was $32,231 for the three months ended  September 30, 1996 compared to
$43,066 for the same period in 1995,  representing  a decrease in  depletion  of
$10,835,  or  25%,  primarily  attributable  to  the  following  factors:  (i) a
reduction  in the  Registrant's  net  depletable  basis  from  charges  taken in
accordance  with FAS 121, (ii) a reduction in oil  production of 989 barrels for
the three  months  ended  September  30,  1996 as compared to the same period in
1995, and (iii) an increase in oil and gas reserves  during the third quarter of
1996 as a result of higher commodity prices.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Net cash  provided by operating  activities  decreased  $15,240  during the nine
months ended  September 30, 1996 from the same period ended  September 30, 1995,
resulting  from an increase in production  costs paid,  offset by an increase in
oil and gas sales received.

                                        9

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Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

The Registrant's  principal  investing  activities  during the nine months ended
September 30, 1996 was related to equipment  replacement  on various oil and gas
properties.

Net Cash Used in Financing Activities

Cash was  sufficient  for the nine  months  ended  September  30,  1996 to cover
distributions  to the partners of $360,872 of which $357,286 was  distributed to
the limited partners and $3,586 to the managing  general  partner.  For the same
period ended  September 30, 1995, cash was sufficient for  distributions  to the
partners of $335,873 of which $332,567 was  distributed to the limited  partners
and $3,306 to the managing general partner.

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

None.


                                       10

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                PARKER & PARSLEY PRODUCING PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.
                        (A Delaware 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 PRODUCING
                                       PROPERTIES 88-A, L.P.

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

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




Dated:  November 6, 1996       By:   /s/ Steven L. Beal
                                      ---------------------------------------
                                      Steven L. Beal, Senior Vice President
                                        and Chief Financial Officer of PPUSA



                                       11

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