that new old field show-Black Gold (Howe, Shiner: dangerous, rail, area)

[Lucidus]

This link has info on exactly where it was filmed. All in and around Odessa. In one of the shots I noticed the water tower only few blocks from my house.

Ticket: 'Black Gold' | oil, gold, black : Odessa American Online (http://www.oaoa.com/articles/oil_18050___article.html/gold_black.html - broken link)

[doss1]

I don't know much about roughnecking, but one thing that really stood out like a sorethumb was how unrealistic it looked in terms of safety on the job. No protective eyewear? Some guys had no hard hats? etc. The only person I personallly knew that did this kind of job ended up breaking both his legs at once and now forever walks with an awkward limp.

I admit, though, I'd love to do that job for a year or so, but not sure if I'd be able to do it longer than that.

Someone's gotta do the job and they got my respect!

[blueskies49]

Originally Posted by Cowboybootnut

It is filmed in Upton County or Reagan County I think.

I've met some of the people with ExL that are shown.

The show is definately not realistic. I have a feeling a lot is staged for entertainment.

Like TexasNick, I don't know much about it either. It's fun to watch, though. I was wondering about whether or not any of it was staged. What parts do you think are staged?

[loves2read]

we watched last night and the show is really not being accurate as to who is actually losing money when the drillers fall behind in their daily progress---
the drilling rig is contracted by the oil/gas company--they PAY the rig for an avg/anticipated drilling depth and a certain number of days...
if there are problems --like on the show last night with the drill pipe/bit getting stuck--that is the COMPANY's problem--not the driller's problem--it is not costing the rig any money...and it will add up to them getting more than they contracted for if unforseen problems crop up
there is a certain amount of down time each day/week to allow for maintenance--those rigs are operational 24/7 but not DRILLING all the hours--there are some times when drillers have to stop--BUT is there are too many maintenance/off time issues then the driller does get into trouble
my husband's company had a rig running a week or so ago and their drilling foreman had a crew just walk off--he can be a real pain at times--HE and one other guy ran the rig until another crew showed up---they set a lot of pipe too...

this show does not explain the difference between drilling and setting the well casement--
when that lightening storm came up they made it look like they were still working--NOT TRUE--I can't believe any any driller would be on the rig during lightening strikes--OSHA is going to red flag and issue citations...

when the show showed the oil company owners meeting and talking about not having enough money to pay for the rig if it takes more time then they scheduled--my husband just snorted and said they were not much of an oil company if they did not have enough money to cover unexpected drilling issues--THAT part was probably staged--and that company made itself look really stupid as well
can't believe they would risk that when people in West TX and other places if they watch this show and ARE doing business in that area would turn and run from doing business with that company...

his company is drilling a well in LA right now--they missed the fault they were going for the first time--had to pull up in the well casing--cut a side hole--go out and down from there--that drill hole had a problem so they had to reenter it--all of this costing the company money--not the rig they rented for the drilling-
but when they hit the zone, the well looks like it will be a good producer---
so it was worth it to spend the extra money and time --but if the geologists' thinking was wrong or if they kept having problems getting the well drilled and costs just went up and up--it could have been a no-show or weak producer and the money would have been just wasted....

I don't know who they are using for advisors about what is real o/g drilling info and what they think makes good TV--but they are not doing themselves any favors with making so many basic mistakes--
guess the shows about the crabbing boats are just as wrong with their basic info if this one is anythng to judge...

[blueskies49]

Well, guess whatever we see on tv we have to take with a grain of salt! Awhile back when they were doing the Wife Swap (or the other one) in Texas, can't remember where now, maybe Southlake or Coppell (swapped with an AA family in south Dallas), one of the local tv stations later interviewed the blond and she said they took liberties several times in order to make the show more entertaining. Negatively impacting the viewers impressions of her, making her out to be spoiled and lazy when, according to her, it wasn't the whole truth. Sound bytes for *good* tv.

[Cowboybootnut]

Originally Posted by blueskies49

Like TexasNick, I don't know much about it either. It's fun to watch, though. I was wondering about whether or not any of it was staged. What parts do you think are staged?

loves2read said it best.

There are too many problems happening at the rigs. Getting stuck and having to hammer down with that 5,000 lb weight. That doesn't happen much. But it just happen to "occur" on the show.

But another thing I see is the driller (can't remember his name) cussing out/making fun of the "Company Man" behind his back. The driller knows this is going on TV, he knows the Company Man is going to work with him again somewhere down the line. I think this was set-up with the driller/company man in on it.

Also, when the other driller had his birthday party, got drunk, didn't show up for work the next morning and got fired. I have my doubts that any good driller would have done that, knowing that other drilling companies would see this on TV. Who would hire him after that? "Yes sir, I am looking for a job. Yes sir, that was me that got falling down drunk and missed my shift."

Maybe I am just too suspicious.

[JamesAbilene]

My dad was a tool pusher, roughneck, and driller in the 40's and 50's in the Panhandle fields. Every now and then, he took my brother and me to the rig with him. I don't remember it being as hectic all of the time as the show indicates. And, they did have some down time. However, those were much shallower wells with much more primitive equipment, and I am sure that the money involved was not nearly as great. I do remember the first time Dad made $100 in a week. He was very proud, and he cashed his check and brought home a single $100 bill for all of us to see.

As far as the drinking, my dad lost more than one job for drinking and failing to show up. Most of his friends--drillers and roughneckers--were heavy drinkers and partyers as was he.

Anyway, the show has brought up some memories.

[PanTerra]

I will have to check out this show, since I have done most of the jobs on a rig from being the worm (a.k.a. fng) to the company man. I learned a lot of new words, too. We have had entire tour crews fired at the end of a tour, so it is not unheard of. If you were drilling, the crews did maintenance and cleaning of equipment between connections, so making that entertaining would be a stretch. However, things would get exciting when tripping for the bit. That was pretty much all I saw on the previews. I am sure that a ton of footage was taken and edited to only show interesting parts. I can't see them putting a segment on of a roughneck putting threads on a piece of pipe. It is probably similar to putting an episode of World's Most Dangerous Catch together.

[Eastender67]

I only had a couple of months "experience" working one summer break (between college semesters) for a Houston drilling company on a drilling rig in Sabine Parish in north Louisiana. After watching Black Gold twice I have to say that those scenes obviously left out all the boring drilling that we did. To make a watchable show they have too I'm sure but we spent as much time walking the rig squirting oil on anything that looked like it might move and maybe moving pipe to the rig but mostly killing time between making connections. But, when it came time to "make a trip" things certainly went from boring to earning your money. Trying to do that job on a muddy deck (as the pipe comes out of the hole, drill mud gushes out over everything including the deckhands) was not my idea of a fun job and was a good way to have your head or some other part of your body decapitated by that damned chain and maybe some other objects that, by carelessness, got caught in that chain. But, we did it in a much more organized manner than what I see on TV. Another thing, and I'm sure my job (in the early 60's) was before there was an OHSA, we NEVER stopped when it rained, no matter how much lightening. In fact, in the north Louisiana summer heat, we welcomed rain. All in all, roughnecking (well, worming for me) back then sure beat working in a hay field for a college kid needing money.

[Cowboybootnut]

I am sure in the real oil field world drillers got drunk, missed work and got fired. I am just suspicious because the driller was doing it all in front of TV cameras.