42 million gallons of oil Traditional Cache
42 million gallons of oil
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Near an awesome museum in Monahans
In the early days after striking oil in Ward County, they needed a place to store the oil between production and shipment to market. So an enormous tank was dug in the ground that when full would hold at least 42,000,000 gallons (1 million barrels).
However, it leaked, and by the early 1930s it was abandoned. In 1958 they tried to make it into an artificial lake, but this also leaked.
By the time I graduated from Monahans high school in 1977, it was mostly a place for students to -um- -er- socialize late at night, and paint the names of who were together there the next morning. Some of this 30 year old graffiti is still visible today, and some writings as recent as 2002 can be seen.
There are several buildings, rail cars, and an amphitheater that are on the premises at the moment. So take a look around, read the historical markers, say howdy to the caretakers on the museum grounds, and see some of the fascinating artifacts of early history of Monahans that have been place in the Million Barrel Museum.
It is possible to drive almost to the cache in dry weather, but things were very overgrown and you run a high risk of getting stuck and / or a flat. Back in the 1970s, there might be a half dozen cars parked along this trail at 1 AM.
The cache is outside the perimeter fendce surrounding the Million Barrel Museum. Container was a cashew container in a past life now painted with nonreflective camo.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cnex ng raq bs 5gu fgerrg whfg rnfg bs Xraargu.
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