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


                                    FORM 10-Q


    / x /        Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                  For the quarterly period ended June 30, 1998

                                       or

    /   /       Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                For the transition period from _______ to _______


                          Commission File No. 33-3353A


                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


                Texas                                      75-2124884
    (State or other jurisdiction of                     (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                  Identification Number)


303 West Wall, Suite 101, Midland, Texas                      79701
(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip code)


       Registrant's Telephone Number, including area code : (915) 683-4768

                                 Not applicable
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  Registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days.

                                Yes / x / No / /









                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                        Page
                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.    Financial Statements

           Balance Sheets as of June 30, 1998 and
              December 31, 1997  ......................................    3

           Statements of Operations for the three and six
             months ended June 30, 1998 and 1997.......................    4

           Statement of Partners' Capital for the six months
             ended June 30, 1998.......................................    5

           Statements of Cash Flows for the six months
             ended June 30, 1998 and 1997..............................    6

           Notes to Financial Statements...............................    7

Item 2.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
             Condition and Results of Operations.......................    7


                           Part II. Other Information

Item 6.    Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K............................   11

           27.1  Financial Data Schedule

           Signatures..................................................   12




                                        2





                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                          Part I. Financial Information

Item 1.    Financial Statements

                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                                                      June 30,      December 31,
                                                        1998            1997
                                                    -----------     ------------
                                                     (Unaudited)

                      ASSETS

Current assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents, including interest
     bearing deposits of $58,992 at June 30
     and $118,756 at December 31                    $    59,109     $   118,873
   Accounts receivable - oil and gas sales               51,822          79,774
                                                     ----------      ----------
          Total current assets                          110,931         198,647
                                                     ----------      ----------
Oil and gas properties - at cost, based on the
   successful efforts accounting method               7,108,970       7,095,382
Accumulated depletion                                (6,354,229)     (6,293,605)
                                                     ----------      ----------
          Net oil and gas properties                    754,741         801,777
                                                     ----------      ----------
                                                    $   865,672     $ 1,000,424
                                                     ==========      ==========

LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL

Current liabilities:
   Accounts payable - affiliate                     $    22,098     $    21,145

Partners' capital:
   Managing general partner                               7,130           8,487
   Limited partners (10,131 interests)                  836,444         970,792
                                                     ----------      ----------
                                                        843,574         979,279
                                                     ----------      ----------
                                                    $   865,672     $ 1,000,424
                                                     ==========      ==========

   The financial information included as of June 30, 1998 has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        3





                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                                   (Unaudited)



                                    Three months ended       Six months ended
                                         June 30,                June 30,
                                  ---------------------   ---------------------
                                     1998        1997        1998        1997
                                  ---------   ---------   ---------   ---------
Revenues:
   Oil and gas                    $ 104,404   $ 131,627   $ 216,312   $ 304,025
   Interest                           1,149       2,335       2,779       4,751
                                   --------    --------    --------    --------
                                    105,553     133,962     219,091     308,776
                                   --------    --------    --------    --------
Costs and expenses:
   Oil and gas production           106,537     105,017     216,919     209,968
   General and administrative         3,132       3,949       6,489       9,121
   Depletion                         30,757      40,361      60,624      82,973
                                   --------    --------    --------    --------
                                    140,426     149,327     284,032     302,062
                                   --------    --------    --------    --------
Net income (loss)                 $ (34,873)  $ (15,365)  $ (64,941)  $   6,714
                                   ========    ========    ========    ========
Allocation of net income (loss):
   Managing general partner       $    (348)  $    (154)  $    (649)  $      67
                                   ========    ========    ========    ========
   Limited partners               $ (34,525)  $ (15,211)  $ (64,292)  $   6,647
                                   ========    ========    ========    ========
Net income (loss) per limited
  partnership interest            $   (3.41)  $   (1.50)  $   (6.35)  $     .66
                                   ========    ========    ========    ========
Distributions per limited
  partnership interest            $    1.14   $    6.42   $    6.92   $   18.10
                                   ========    ========    ========    ========




         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        4





                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                         STATEMENT OF PARTNERS' CAPITAL
                                   (Unaudited)




                                      Managing
                                      general       Limited
                                      partner       partners         Total
                                     ---------     ----------     ----------

Balance at January 1, 1998           $   8,487     $  970,792     $  979,279

   Distributions                          (708)       (70,056)       (70,764)

   Net loss                               (649)       (64,292)       (64,941)
                                      --------      ---------      ---------

Balance at June 30, 1998             $   7,130     $  836,444     $  843,574
                                      ========      =========      =========







         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        5





                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                   (Unaudited)


                                                        Six months ended
                                                             June 30,
                                                      ----------------------
                                                        1998         1997
                                                      ---------    ---------
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net income (loss)                                   $ (64,941)   $   6,714
  Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to
     net cash provided by operating activities:
       Depletion                                         60,624       82,973
  Changes in assets and liabilities:
     Accounts receivable                                 27,952       63,219
     Accounts payable                                       953      (23,790)
                                                       --------     --------
        Net cash provided by operating activities        24,588      129,116
                                                       --------     --------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Additions to oil and gas properties                   (13,588)      (3,263)
  Proceeds from asset dispositions                          -        (34,787)
                                                       --------     --------
        Net cash used in investing activities           (13,588)     (38,050)
                                                       --------     --------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Cash distributions to partners                        (70,764)    (185,198)
                                                       --------     --------
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents               (59,764)     (94,132)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period        118,873      232,139
                                                       --------     --------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period            $  59,109    $ 138,007
                                                       ========     ========


         The financial information included herein has been prepared by
           management without audit by independent public accountants.

   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

                                        6





                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)

                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                  June 30, 1998
                                   (Unaudited)

Note 1.     Organization and nature of operations

Parker &  Parsley  86-A,  Ltd.  (the  "Partnership")  is a  limited  partnership
organized in 1986 under the laws of the State of Texas.

The Partnership  engages  primarily in oil and gas development and production in
Texas and is not involved in any industry segment other than oil and gas.

Note 2.     Basis of presentation

In  the  opinion  of  management,  the  unaudited  financial  statements  of the
Partnership  as of June 30, 1998 and for the three and six months ended June 30,
1998 and 1997 include all  adjustments  and accruals  consisting  only of normal
recurring accrual adjustments which are necessary for a fair presentation of the
results for the  interim  period.  These  interim  results  are not  necessarily
indicative of results for a full year.

Certain  information  and  footnote  disclosure  normally  included in financial
statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting  principles
have been  condensed  or  omitted  in this Form 10-Q  pursuant  to the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The financial statements
should  be read in  conjunction  with the  financial  statements  and the  notes
thereto  contained in the  Partnership's  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1997, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,  a copy
of which is available upon request by writing to Rich Dealy,  Vice President and
Chief Accounting Officer,  5205 North O'Connor  Boulevard,  1400 Williams Square
West, Irving, Texas 75039-3746.

Certain  reclassifications  have been made to the 1997  financial  statements to
conform to the 1998 financial statement presentation.

Item 2.     Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
              and Results of Operations (1)

Results of Operations

Six months ended June 30, 1998 compared with six months ended
  June 30, 1997

Revenues:

The Partnership's  oil and gas revenues  decreased 29% to $216,312 from $304,025
for the six months ended June 30, 1998 and 1997,  respectively.  The decrease in
revenues  resulted from lower average prices received,  offset by an increase in

                                        7





production. For the six months ended June 30, 1998, 10,146 barrels of oil, 5,143
barrels of natural  gas  liquids  ("NGLs")  and 23,870 mcf of gas were sold,  or
19,267  barrel of oil  equivalents  ("BOEs").  For the six months ended June 30,
1997, 10,223 barrels of oil and 40,467 mcf of gas were sold, or 16,968 BOEs.

As of September 30, 1997, the Partnership began accounting for processed natural
gas   production  as  processed   natural  gas  liquids  and  dry  residue  gas.
Consequently,  separate  product volumes will not be comparable to periods prior
to September 30, 1997.  Also,  prices for gas products will not be comparable as
the price per mcf for  natural  gas for the three and six months  ended June 30,
1998 is the price received for dry residue gas and the price per mcf for natural
gas for the  three and six  months  ended  June 30,  1997 is a price for wet gas
(i.e., natural gas liquids combined with dry residue gas).

The average  price  received per barrel of oil  decreased  $6.22,  or 30%,  from
$20.48 for the six months  ended June 30,  1997 to $14.26 for the same period in
1998.  The average price received per barrel of NGLs during the six months ended
June 30, 1998 was $7.06.  The average  price  received per mcf of gas  decreased
from  $2.34  during the six months  ended  June 30,  1997 to $1.48 in 1998.  The
market price for oil and gas has been extremely volatile in the past decade, and
management expects a certain amount of volatility to continue in the foreseeable
future.  The Partnership may therefore sell its future oil and gas production at
average  prices lower or higher than that  received  during the six months ended
June 30, 1998.

During  most of 1997,  the  Partnership  benefitted  from  higher  oil prices as
compared to previous  years.  However,  during the fourth  quarter of 1997,  oil
prices began a downward  trend that has  continued  into 1998. On July 29, 1998,
the market  price for West Texas  intermediate  crude was $11.58 per  barrel.  A
continuation of the oil price environment  experienced  during the first half of
1998 will have an adverse  effect on the  Partnership's  revenues and  operating
cash flow and could result in additional  decreases in the carrying value of the
Partnership's oil and gas properties.

Costs and Expenses:

Total costs and expenses decreased to $284,032 for the six months ended June 30,
1998 as compared to $302,062 for the same period in 1997, a decrease of $18,030,
or  6%.  This  decrease  was  due to  declines  in  depletion  and  general  and
administrative expenses ("G&A"), offset by an increase in production costs.

Production  costs  were  $216,919  for the six months  ended  June 30,  1998 and
$209,968 for the same period in 1997 resulting in a $6,951 increase, or 3%. This
increase  was  primarily  the result of an  increase in well  maintenance  costs
incurred  in an effort to  stimulate  well  production,  offset by a decrease in
production taxes.

G&A's  components are independent  accounting and engineering  fees and managing
general  partner  personnel  and  operating  costs.   During  this  period,  G&A
decreased, in aggregate,  29% from $9,121 for the six months ended June 30, 1997
to $6,489 for the same period in 1998.

                                        8





Depletion was $60,624 for the six months ended June 30, 1998 compared to $82,973
for the same  period in 1997.  This  represented  a  decrease  in  depletion  of
$22,349, or 27%. This decrease was primarily  attributable to a reduction in the
Partnership's  net  depletable  basis  from  charges  taken in  accordance  with
Statement  of  Financial  Accounting  Standards  No.  121,  "Accounting  for the
Impairment of  Long-Lived  Assets and for  Long-Lived  Assets to be Disposed Of"
("SFAS 121") during the fourth quarter of 1997 and a reduction in oil production
of 77 barrels for the period ended June 30, 1998  compared to the same period in
1997,  offset by a decrease in oil reserves during the six months ended June 30,
1998 as a result of lower commodity prices.

Three months ended June 30, 1998 compared with three months ended
   June 30, 1997

Revenues:

The Partnership's  oil and gas revenues  decreased 21% to $104,404 from $131,627
for the three months ended June 30, 1998 and 1997, respectively. The decrease in
revenues  resulted from lower average prices received,  offset by an increase in
production.  For the three  months ended June 30,  1998,  5,122  barrels of oil,
2,609  barrels of NGLs and 11,273 mcf of gas were sold,  or 9,610 BOEs.  For the
three  months ended June 30,  1997,  4,680  barrels of oil and 21,506 mcf of gas
were sold, or 8,264 BOEs.

The average  price  received per barrel of oil  decreased  $5.43,  or 29%,  from
$18.92 for the three months ended June 30, 1997 to $13.49 for the same period in
1998.  The average  price  received  per barrel of NGLs during the three  months
ended  June 30,  1998 was  $7.16.  The  average  price  received  per mcf of gas
decreased 27% from $2.00 during the three months ended June 30, 1997 to $1.47 in
1998.

Costs and Expenses:

Total costs and  expenses  decreased to $140,426 for the three months ended June
30,  1998 as compared  to  $149,327  for the same period in 1997,  a decrease of
$8,901, or 6%. This decrease was due to declines in depletion and G&A, offset by
an increase in production costs.

Production  costs were  $106,537  for the three  months  ended June 30, 1998 and
$105,017  for the same  period  in 1997  resulting  in a $1,520  increase.  This
increase  was  primarily  the result of an increase in well  maintenance  costs,
offset by a decrease in production taxes.

G&A's  components are independent  accounting and engineering  fees and managing
general  partner  personnel  and  operating  costs.   During  this  period,  G&A
decreased,  in  aggregate,  21% from $3,949 for the three  months ended June 30,
1997 to $3,132 for the same period in 1998.

Depletion  was $30,757  for the three  months  ended June 30,  1998  compared to
$40,361 for the same period in 1997. This represented a decrease in depletion of
$9,604,  or 24%. This decrease was primarily  attributable to a reduction in the
Partnership's  net depletable  basis from charges taken in accordance  with SFAS

                                        9





121 during the fourth  quarter  of 1997,  offset by a decrease  in oil  reserves
during  the three  months  ended  June 30,  1998 as a result of lower  commodity
prices.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Net cash  provided by operating  activities  decreased  $104,528  during the six
months  ended  June 30,  1998 from the same  period  ended June 30,  1997.  This
decrease was primarily due to a decline in oil and gas sales receipts, offset by
declines in production costs and G&A expenses paid.

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

The Partnership's  principal investing  activities for the six months ended June
30, 1998 and 1997  included  expenditures  related to equipment  replacement  on
various oil and gas properties.

Proceeds  from  asset  dispositions  during  1997  resulted  from the final post
closing adjustment of $34,787 from the 1996 sale of properties.

Net Cash Used in Financing Activities

Cash  was   sufficient  for  the  six  months  ended  June  30,  1998  to  cover
distributions  to the partners of $70,764 of which $708 was  distributed  to the
managing  general  partner  and $70,056 to the  limited  partners.  For the same
period  ended  June 30,  1997,  cash was  sufficient  for  distributions  to the
partners of $185,198 of which $1,851 was  distributed  to the  managing  general
partner and $183,347 to the limited partners.

It is expected  that future net cash  provided by operating  activities  will be
sufficient for any capital expenditures and any distributions. As the production
from the properties declines, distributions are also expected to decrease.

Information systems for the year 2000

The managing general partner will be required to modify its information  systems
in order to  accurately  process  Partnership  data  referencing  the year 2000.
Because of the importance of occurrence  dates in the oil and gas industry,  the
consequences of not pursuing these  modifications  could be very  significant to
the Partnership's ability to manage and report operating activities.  Currently,
the managing general partner plans to contract with third parties to perform the
software  programming  changes  necessary to correct any existing  deficiencies.
Such  programming  changes are  anticipated  to be completed  and tested by June
1999. The managing  general  partner will allocate a portion of the costs of the
year 2000 programming  charges to the Partnership when they are incurred,  along
with recurring general and administrative  expenses.  Although the costs are not
estimable at this time, they should not be significant to the Partnership.

                                       10





- ---------------

(1)    "Item 2. Management's  Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
       Results of Operations"  contains forward looking  statements that involve
       risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that the
       actual  events and  results  will not be  materially  different  than the
       anticipated results described in the forward looking statements.




                           Part II. Other Information

Item 6.     Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)    Exhibits

       27.1   Financial Data Schedule

(b)    Reports on Form 8-K - none


                                       11




                           PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.
                          (A Texas Limited Partnership)



                               S I G N A T U R E S



     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                       PARKER & PARSLEY 86-A, LTD.

                                 By:   Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.
                                        Managing General Partner





Dated:  August 5, 1998           By:    /s/ Rich Dealy
                                       ------------------------------------
                                       Rich Dealy, Vice President and
                                       Chief Accounting Officer


                                       12