FORM 10-Q


                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

(Mark One)

(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 number 0-17707


               Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P.
                  (Exact name of registrant as specified
                   in its limited partnership agreement)

Delaware                                           75-2220097    
(State or other jurisdiction of                (I.R.S. Employer  
 incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)



                       407 N. Big Spring, Suite 300
                           Midland, Texas 79701          
                 (Address of principal executive offices)

                              (915) 686-9927         
                      (Registrant's telephone number,
                           including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether 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      

         The total number of pages contained in this report is 12.

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                      PART I. - FINANCIAL INFORMATION


Item 1. Financial Statements

The unaudited condensed financial statements included herein have been
prepared by the Registrant (herein also referred to as the "Partnership") in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim
financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01
of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information
and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for
complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments
necessary for a fair presentation have been included and are of a normal
recurring nature.  The financial statements should be read in conjunction
with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto for the year
ended December 31, 1996 which are found in the Registrant's Form 10-K Report
for 1996 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The December 31,
1996 balance sheet included herein has been taken from the Registrant's 1996
Form 10-K Report.  Operating results for the three month period ended
March 31, 1997 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be
expected for the full year.

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               Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P.

                              Balance Sheets


                                                 March 31,     December 31,
                                                   1997            1996
                                                   ----            ----
                                                (unaudited)

  Assets

Current assets:
 Cash and cash equivalents                    $     23,272         55,844
 Receivable from Managing General Partner          159,647        227,459
                                                 ---------      ---------
    Total current assets                           182,919        283,303
                                                 ---------      ---------
Oil and gas properties - using 
 the full-cost method of accounting              5,448,896      5,448,326
  Less accumulated depreciation, 
   depletion and amortization                    4,075,109      4,049,109
                                                 ---------      ---------
    Net oil and gas properties                   1,373,787      1,399,217
                                                 ---------      ---------
                                              $  1,556,706      1,682,520
                                                 =========      =========

  Liabilities and Partners' Equity

Current liabilities:
 Accounts payable                             $      6,800            -  
 Distributions payable                                 189            271
                                                 ---------      ---------
    Total current liabilities                        6,989            271
                                                 ---------      ---------
Partners' equity:
 General partners                                   13,811         24,464
 Limited partners                                1,535,906      1,657,785
                                                 ---------      ---------
    Total partners' equity                       1,549,717      1,682,249
                                                 ---------      ---------
                                              $  1,556,706      1,682,520
                                                 =========      =========

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               Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P.

                         Statements of Operations
                                (unaudited)


                                                        Three Months Ended
                                                            March 31,
                                                         1997       1996
                                                         ----       ----
  Revenues

Oil and gas                                         $   377,458    392,827
Interest                                                    735        325
                                                        -------    -------
                                                        378,193    393,152
                                                        -------    -------
  Expenses

Production                                              205,701    256,728
General and administrative                               34,024     34,451
Depreciation, depletion and amortization                 26,000     40,000
                                                        -------    -------
                                                        265,725    331,179
                                                        -------    -------
Net income                                          $   112,468     61,973
                                                        =======    =======
Net income allocated to:

 Managing General Partner                           $    12,462      9,178
                                                        =======    =======
 General partner                                    $     1,385      1,020
                                                        =======    =======
 Limited partners                                   $    98,621     51,775
                                                        =======    =======
  Per limited partner unit                          $      7.25       3.81
                                                        =======    =======

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               Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P.

                         Statements of Cash Flows
                                (unaudited)


                                                        Three Months Ended
                                                            March 31,
                                                         1997       1996
                                                         ----       ----

Cash flows from operating activities:

 Cash received from oil and gas sales               $   477,273    363,383
 Cash paid to suppliers                                (259,524)  (271,887)
 Interest received                                          735        325
                                                       --------   --------
  Net cash provided by operating activities             218,484     91,821
                                                       --------   --------
Cash flows from investing activities:

 Sale of oil and gas properties                              72     43,259
 Additions to oil and gas properties                     (6,046)    (1,487)
                                                       --------   --------
  Net cash provided by (used in) investing 
   activities                                            (5,974)    41,772
                                                       --------   --------
Cash flows used in financing activities:

 Distributions to partners                             (245,082)  (130,703)
                                                       --------   --------
Net increase (decrease) in cash and
 cash equivalents                                       (32,572)     2,890

 Beginning of period                                     55,844     38,356
                                                       --------   --------
 End of period                                      $    23,272     41,246
                                                       ========   ========

                                                                (continued)

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               Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P.

                    Statements of Cash Flows, continued
                                (unaudited)


                                                        Three Months Ended
                                                            March 31,
                                                         1997       1996
                                                         ----       ----

Reconciliation of net income to net cash
 provided by operating activities:

Net income                                          $   112,468     61,973

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
 cash provided by operating activities:

  Depreciation, depletion and amortization               26,000     40,000
  (Increase) decrease in receivables                     99,815    (29,403)
  Increase (decrease) in payables                       (19,799)    19,251
                                                        -------    -------
Net cash provided by operating activities           $   218,484     91,821
                                                        =======    =======

Supplemental schedule of noncash investing
 and financial activities:

  Overcharge for oil and gas properties
   included in receivable from Managing General
    Partner                                         $     5,404        -  

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

General

Southwest Oil & Gas Income Fund VIII-A, L.P. was organized as a Delaware
limited partnership on November 30, 1987. The offering of such limited
partnership interests began on March 31, 1988, minimum capital requirements
were met on July 6, 1988, and the offering concluded on March 31, 1989, with
total limited partner contributions of $6,798,000.

The Partnership was formed to acquire interests in producing oil and gas
properties, to produce and market crude oil and natural gas produced from
such properties, and to distribute the net proceeds from operations to the
limited and general partners.  Net revenues from producing oil and gas
properties are not reinvested in other revenue producing assets except to the
extent that production facilities and wells are improved or reworked or where
methods are employed to improve or enable more efficient recovery of oil and
gas reserves.

Increases or decreases in Partnership revenues and, therefore, distributions
to partners will depend primarily on changes in the prices received for
production, changes in volumes of production sold, increases and decreases in
lease operating expenses, enhanced recovery projects, offset drilling
activities pursuant to farm-out arrangements, sales of properties, and the
depletion of wells.  Since wells deplete over time, production can generally
be expected to decline from year to year.

Well operating costs and general and administrative costs usually decrease
with production declines; however, these costs may not decrease
proportionately.  Net income available for distribution to the partners is
therefore expected to fluctuate in later years based on these factors.

Based on current conditions, management anticipates performing workovers
during the next two years to enhance production.  The Partnership may undergo
an increase later in 1997 and possibly in 1998.  Thereafter, the Partnership
could possibly experience a normal decline of 10% to 12% per year.

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Results of Operations

A. General Comparison of the Quarters Ended March 31, 1997 and 1996

The following table provides certain information regarding performance
factors for the quarters ended March 31, 1997 and 1996:

                                               Three Months
                                                  Ended         Percentage
                                                 March 31,       Increase
                                              1997      1996    (Decrease)
                                              ----      ----    ----------
Average price per barrel of oil           $   21.62     18.23      19%
Average price per mcf of gas              $    2.37      2.31       3%
Oil production in barrels                    15,000    18,000     (17%)
Gas production in mcf                        22,400    27,900     (20%)
Gross oil and gas revenue                 $ 377,458   392,827      (4%)
Net oil and gas revenue                   $ 171,757   136,099      26%
Partnership distributions                 $ 245,000   130,712      87%
Limited partner distributions             $ 220,500   118,712      86%
Per unit distribution to limited
 partners                                 $   16.22      8.73      86%
Number of limited partner units              13,596    13,596

Revenues

The Partnership's oil and gas revenues decreased to $377,458 from $392,827
for the quarters ended March 31, 1997 and 1996, respectively, a decrease of
4%.  The principal factors affecting the comparison of the quarters ended
March 31, 1997 and 1996 are as follows:

1.  The average price for a barrel of oil received by the Partnership
    increased during the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared to the
    quarter ended March 31, 1996 by 19%, or $3.39 per barrel, resulting in an
    increase of approximately $61,000 in revenues.  Oil sales represented 86%
    of total oil and gas sales during the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as
    compared to 84% during the quarter ended March 31, 1996.

    The average price for an mcf of gas received by the Partnership increased
    during the same period by 3%, or $.06 per mcf, resulting in an increase
    of approximately $1,700 in revenues.  

    The total increase in revenues due to the change in prices received from
    oil and gas production is approximately $62,700.  The market price for
    oil and gas has been extremely volatile over the past decade and
    management expects a certain amount of volatility to continue in the
    foreseeable future.

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2.  Oil production decreased approximately 3,000 barrels or 17% during the
    quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared to the quarter ended March 31,
    1996, resulting in a decrease of approximately $64,900 in revenues.

    Gas production decreased approximately 5,500 mcf or 20% during the same
    period, resulting in a decrease of approximately $13,000 in revenues.

    The total decrease in revenues due to the change in production is
    approximately $77,900.  The decrease is primarily a result of mechanical
    problems causing lease downtime, some wells experiencing a sharp natural
    decline and the gas production estimate for the first quarter of 1996
    being higher than the actual gas produced during the first quarter of
    1996 due to the wells experiencing a higher than normal natural decline
    and unforeseeable well downtime during the first quarter of 1996.

Costs and Expenses

Total costs and expenses decreased to $265,725 from $331,179 for the quarters
ended March 31, 1997 and 1996, respectively, a decrease of 20%.  The decrease
is the result of lower lease operating costs, general and administrative
expense and depletion expense.

1.  Lease operating costs and production taxes were 20% lower, or
    approximately $51,000 less during the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as
    compared to the quarter ended March 31, 1996.  The decrease is primarily
    attributable to higher workover costs incurred in 1996 as compared to
    1997 and the December 31, 1995 accrual for lease operating costs being
    lower than the actual lease operating costs incurred.

2.  General and administrative costs consist of independent accounting and
    engineering fees, computer services, postage, and Managing General
    Partner personnel costs.    General and administrative costs decreased 1%
    or approximately $400 during the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared
    to the quarter ended March 31, 1996.

3.  Depletion expense decreased to $26,000 for the quarter ended March 31,
    1997 from $40,000 for the same period in 1996.  This represents a
    decrease of 35%.  Depletion is calculated using the units of revenue
    method of amortization based on a percentage of current period gross
    revenues to total future gross oil and gas revenues, as estimated by the
    Partnership's independent petroleum consultants.  Contributing factors to
    the decline in depletion expense between the comparative periods were the
    increase in the price of oil used to determine the Partnership's reserve
    for January 1, 1997 as compared to 1996 and the decrease in oil and gas
    revenue.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

The primary source of cash is from operations, the receipt of income from
interests in oil and gas properties.  The Partnership knows of no material
change, nor does it anticipate any such change.

Cash flows provided by operating activities were approximately $218,500 in
the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared to approximately $91,800 in the
quarter ended March 31, 1996.  The primary source of the 1997 cash flow from
operating activities was profitable operations.

Cash flows provided by or (used in) investing activities were approximately
$(6,000) in the quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared to approximately
$41,800 in the quarter ended March 31, 1996.  The principle use of the 1997
cash flow from investing activities was the addition to oil and gas
properties, partially offset by the sale of oil and gas properties.

Cash flows used in financing activities were approximately $245,100 in the
quarter ended March 31, 1997 as compared to approximately $130,700 in the
quarter ended March 31, 1996.  The only use in financing activities was the
distributions to partners.

Total distributions during the quarter ended March 31, 1997 were $245,000 of
which $220,500 was distributed to the limited partners and $24,500 to the
general partners.  The per unit distribution to limited partners during the
quarter ended March 31, 1997 was $16.22.  Total distributions during the
quarter ended March 31, 1996 were $130,712 of which $118,712 was distributed
to the limited partners and $12,000 to the general partners.  The per unit
distribution to limited partners during the quarter ended March 31, 1996 was
$8.73.  

The sources for the 1997 distributions of $245,000 were oil and gas
operations of approximately $218,500 and the sale of oil and gas properties
of approximately $70, offset by additions to oil and gas properties of
approximately $6,000, with the balance from available cash on hand at the
beginning of the period.  The sources for the 1996 distributions of $130,712
were oil and gas operations of approximately $91,800 and the sale of oil and
gas properties of approximately $43,300, offset by additions to oil and gas
properties of approximately $1,500, resulting in excess cash for
contingencies or subsequent distributions.

Since inception of the Partnership, cumulative monthly cash distributions of
$6,455,651 have been made to the partners.  As of March 31, 1997, $5,849,730
or $430.25 per limited partner unit has been distributed to the limited
partners, representing an 86% return of the capital contributed.

As of March 31, 1997, the Partnership had approximately $175,900 in working
capital.  The Managing General Partner knows of no unusual contractual
commitments and believes the revenues generated from operations are adequate
to meet the needs of the Partnership.

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                       PART II. - OTHER INFORMATION


Item 1.   Legal Proceedings

          None

Item 2.   Changes in Securities

          None

Item 3.   Defaults Upon Senior Securities

          None

Item 4.   Submission of Matter to a Vote of Security Holders

          None

Item 5.   Other Information

          None

Item 6.   Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

          (a)  Exhibits:
          
               27  Financial Data Schedule

          (b)  Reports on Form 8-K:

               No reports on Form 8-K were filed during the quarter for
               which this report is filed.

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                                SIGNATURES


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.


                              SOUTHWEST OIL & GAS  
                              INCOME FUND VIII-A, L.P.
                              a Delaware limited partnership


                              By:  Southwest Royalties, Inc.
                                   Managing General Partner


                              By:  /s/ Bill E. Coggin
                                   ------------------------------
                                   Bill E. Coggin, Vice President
                                   and Chief Financial Officer


Date:  May 15, 1997

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