World’s Richest Acre

In a town with over 1,000 wells in the down town alone, the World’s Richest Acre is a 1.195-acre standout in the East Texas Oil Boom. While the boom began in 1930, it wasn’t until June 17, 1937 that the Mrs. Bess Johnson-Adams and Hale No. 1 sparked interest in this very particular acre of Kilgore Texas.

Twenty four wells were drilled on the World’s Richest Acre, the most densely drilled tract in the world. Today, spacing rules would have prevented so many wells, but the six different operators involved were drilling on the site long before such standardized measures were in place. As a result, this acre alone has produced two and a half million barrels of crude oil, generating over $5.5 million. (Not adjusted for modern value)

Nearing a century later, the East Texas oil fields continue to produce. Seventeen-thousand wells remain in production. While the industry has grown and shifted through the decades, Kilgore Texas will remain a highlight in oil history.