Million Barrel Tank

A project of the Shell Oil Company, the construction of this oil storage tank in 1928 was the result of an oil boom in the area. Built to accommodate crude oil until it could be shipped to refineries, the tank was constructed by crews working on a 24-hour schedule using hand operated and horse-drawn equipment. Covering eight acres of land, the tank was able to hold over one million barrels of oil. It was filled to capacity only once. Efforts to convert it into a water-filled recreation center in the 1950s were unsuccessful, and it became a museum in 1986.

Million Barrel Tank is a historical marker in Monahans, Ward County, dedicated in 1988. It is one of 11 historical markers documented in Ward County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 17 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5973, -102.8785 near Monahans. The nearest cataloged historic site is Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum (museum), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Ward County Museum Complex, Ward County Courthouse, and Christ The King Catholic Church_Sands Art Center.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5475003386. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.