Editing Big Lake, Texas (section)

==History==
In 1919, Rupert Ricker began the process of leasing 674 [[section (United States land surveying)|sections]] of [[University of Texas]] land, part of their [[Permanent University Fund (Texas)|Permanent University Fund]].  Unable to fund any test wells, Ricker sold the prospect to Frank Pickrell and [[Haymon Krupp]], who organized the Texon Oil and Land Company.  The company geologist, Hugh H. Tucker, picked the drill site, claiming a structure {{convert|9|mi|km}} wide and {{convert|30|mi|km}} long.  The initial drill site was about {{convert|14|mi|km}} west of Big Lake, north of the [[Orient Railroad]] tracks at what became [[Texon]]. They hired [[Carl G. Cromwell]] to spud the first test well in 1921, using [[Drilling rig#Cable tool drilling|cable tools]]. On the afternoon of 27 May, oil showed in the bailer. Then, on the morning of 28 May 1923, the Santa Rita No. 1 [[oil gusher|gushed oil]] after drilling to a depth of {{convert|3028|ft|m}}.  Initial production was 100 [[BOPD]], which overflowed the earthen tanks, and then onto the ground for over a month before [[Casing (borehole)|casing]] could set.  The oil was then shipped by [[tank car]] to a refinery in El Paso.  [[Michael Late Benedum]] bought the Texon find, and formed the Big Lake Oil Company, in October 1923.  By 1924, Benedum had established the Big Lake oil field as the first major oil field in the [[Permian Basin (North America)|Permian Basin]].  In 1926, this field had 74 wells producing a total of 32,317 BOPD.<ref name=oo>{{cite book |last1=Olien |first1=Diana |last2=Olien |first2=Roger |title=Oil in Texas, The Gusher Age, 1895-1945 |date=2002 |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin |isbn=0292760566 |pages=150–151, 162–164}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hennen |first1=Ray |title=Big Lake Oil Pool, Reagan County, Texas |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/1499/chapter/107180918/Big-Lake-Oil-Pool-Reagan-County-Texas1 |website=GeoScienceWorld |publisher=AAPG |access-date=14 August 2020 |pages=500–541 |date=1929|doi=10.1306/SV4330C30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwettmann |first1=Martin |title=Santa Rita, The University of Texas Oil Discovery |date=1943 |publisher=The Texas State Historical Association |isbn=9780876110188 |pages=4–33}}</ref>