UNITED STATES
 	SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
	Washington, D.C.  20549

	Schedule 13G

	Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
	(Amendment No.  5)*

	Tmbr/Sharp Drilling, Inc
	________________________________________
	(Name of Issuer)

	Common Stock
	________________________________________
	(Title of Class of Securities)

	87257P101
	_________________________
	(CUSIP Number)

	December 31, 1999
        ________________________________________
  (Date of Event Which Required Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which
this Schedule is filed:

	[X] Rule 13d-1(b)

	[ ] Rule 13d-1(c)

	[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)

*  The remainder of the cover page shall be filled out for a
reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to
the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment
containing information which would alter the disclosures provided
in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page
shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise
subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall
be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).


1.	NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
	I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY).

	Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
	(I.R.S. NO. 13-5581829)

2.	Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group
(a)  [   ]  Not applicable
(b)  [   ]  Not applicable

3.	SEC USE ONLY

4.	CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
	A New York corporation

				5.	SOLE VOTING POWER
						290,900
	NUMBER OF
	SHARES		6.	SHARED VOTING POWER
	BENEFICIALLY			- 0 -
	OWNED BY EACH
	REPORTING		7.	SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
	PERSON WITH			290,900

				8.	SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
						- 0 -

9.	AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				290,900

(All shares were acquired for the benefit of separate account
customers of the Reporting Person by its affiliate, State Street
Research & Management Company, Inc, an Investment Adviser
registered under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act. This
affiliate follows an independent investment decision-making
process and has sole voting and/or dispositive power over such
securities. The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership
in these shares.)

10.	CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
	SHARES [ ]

11.	PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
		6.16%

12.	TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
	IC


Item 1
(a).  Name of Issuer
	Tmbr/Sharp Drilling, Inc

(b).  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
	4607 W. Industrial Midland
	TX 79703

Item 2
(a).  Name of Person Filing
	Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
	By Dorothy L. Murray, Assistant Vice-President

(b).  Address of Principal Business Office
	One Madison Avenue
	New York, New York 10010

(c).  Citizenship
	A New York corporation

(d).  Title of Class of Securities
	Common Stock

(e).  CUSIP Number
	87257P101

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to sections 240.13d-
1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is
a:
	(a) [ ]	Broker or dealer registered under section 15 of the
Act (15 U.S.C.78o);
	(b) [ ]	Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15
U.S.C. 78c);
	(c) [X]	Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of
the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c);
	(d) [ ]	Investment company registered under section 8 of
the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8);
	(e) [ ]	An investment adviser in accordance with section
240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);
	(f) [ ]	An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in
accordance with section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
	(g) [ ]	A parent holding company or control person in
accordance with section 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);
	(h) [ ] A savings association as defined in section 3(b)
of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);
	(I) [ ] A church plan that is excluded from the definition
of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3); or
	 (j) [ ]	Group, in accordance with section 240.13d-1(b)(1)
(ii)(J).


Item	 4.	Ownership:

Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number
and percentage of the class of securities of the issuer
identified in Item 1.

	(a)	Amount Beneficially Owned:  290,900

	(b)	Percent of Class:  6.16%

	(c)	Number of shares as to which such person has

		(i)	sole power to vote or to direct the
			vote:  290,900

		(ii)	shared power to vote or to direct the
			vote:  -0-

		(iii)	sole power to dispose or to direct the
			disposition of:  290,900

		(iv)	shared power to dispose or to direct
			the disposition of:  -0-

Item	5.	Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of
the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the
beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
securities, check the following  [].

Item 6.   	Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of
Another Person: (Not applicable)

Item 7.	Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary
Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent
Holding Company: (Not applicable)

Item 8.	Identification and Classification of Members of the
Group: (Not applicable)

Item 9.	Notice of Dissolution of Group: (Not applicable)




Item 10.	Certification:
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are
held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and
are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were
not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a
participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.


SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.


Date:         January 20, 2000

Signature:    _/s/ Dorothy L. Murray
	              Assistant Vice-President




SCHEDULE 13G		CUSIP No.  87257P101
SCHEDULE 13G		CUSIP No.  87257P101