Parker Drilling Rig #114
N. Madison St and E. 3rd St., Elk City, Oklahoma
At 181 feet (17 stories), Parker Drilling Rig #114 is one of the world’s tallest oil rigs. The rig was originally built in the 1960’s to drill shafts for underground nuclear testing and was later used to discover oil. It currently stands at the center of Elk City on Historic Route 66. It dominates the Elk City Skyline.
Rig 114’s Colorful History
Rig 114 has a long and colorful past. It worked extensively in the Anadarko Basin during the 1970s and 1980s, drilling ten wells between 1973 and 1982, including several deep natural gas wells exceeding 20,000 feet. But its most remarkable chapter came earlier, when it was known as Parco Rig 2.
In 1967, Parco Rig 2 was shipped to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to drill massive‑diameter holes for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s nuclear testing program. The rig drilled a world‑record 120‑inch‑diameter hole to 4,500 feet, while a sister rig drilled a 96‑inch hole to 6,150 feet, where a three‑megaton underground nuclear device was detonated. Funding cuts ended the program, and Rig 2’s second large‑diameter hole was sealed.
Afterward, the rig was modified for conventional deep‑gas drilling and redesignated Parker Rig 114. It later worked in Texas and Oklahoma before being stacked in Del City when the early‑1980s drilling boom ended.
Elk City’s Tribute to the Oil Patch
Parker Rig 114 arrived in Elk City in December 1990 after local leaders envisioned a full‑size drilling rig as the perfect complement to the newly expanded Anadarko Basin Museum located in the Casa Grande Hotel. Community members raised $51,000 for site preparation, trucking, and rigging, turning the project into a true civic effort. As the document notes, “Rig 114 proudly stands as a tribute to the industry, its leaders and workers.”
Because downtown space was tight, crews couldn’t raise the rig in its usual jackknife position. Streets were closed, a crane was brought in, and Parker crews carefully lifted the 181‑foot mast into place. Local companies donated labor and equipment, reinforcing the community spirit behind the installation.
Today, Rig 114 stands along historic Route 66 as a landmark honoring Elk City’s deep connection to the energy industry. Parker Drilling leaders called the display “a fitting tribute to the top-notch people of Elk City,” reflecting the pride shared by both the company and the community.
Spring 1992 issue of Parker Drilling’s Diggings Deep
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