Landman, Wildcatters, & Dr Pepper

If you have ever been curious about the oil and gas business, I highly recommend the show “Landman” streaming now on Paramount+. It is written by Taylor Sheridan, and co-creator Christian Wallace. Wallace is the insider, a Texas boy from Andrews, journalist for Texas Monthly, and host of the podcast BOOMTOWN about the Permian Basin.

Listen to Mr. Wallace’s eye-opening Podcast BOOMTOWN on Spotify. Follow link here.

A Front Row Seat

Located in the Texas Panhandle, I’ve been married to a petroleum geologist for 40 years. If I wanted to see my husband, it meant time spent in the “patch” on a drilling location which gave me a front row seat to this fascinating industry. The characters in Sheridan’s version are exactly the types of hard-working, unique personalities we are privileged to interact with every day.

One scene really rang true for me on a personal level.  Billy Bob Thornton’s character takes a seat on the pickup tailgate after smashing his finger, gingerly pulls off his glove and says, “I want a cigarette and a Dr Pepper.”   

I’m married to the wildcatter with a Skoal ring on his Wrangler pocket. More times than I can count, I’ve heard, “Give me a minute. I just need a dip and a Dr Pepper.”

That line has more meaning than I can ever explain. This industry is the ultimate example of the term “feast or famine.” Whether it be good outcomes or very bad, cooler heads always prevail. The oil and gas business is dangerous, and the list of everything that can go wrong is endless. Cringe-worthy stories about narrow escapes abound. Death is a reality. Sinking a drill bit into the ground and successfully extracting a marketable product is only a small portion of what it takes to survive, literally and financially. People who work in the O&G industry have been exploring, drilling and producing crude for over 165 years. The process and work is nothing new.

The Oil Bizz has evolved into a specialized industry steered by all the sciences involving a highly skilled work force from all over the world. Our little independent O&G company has collaborated with people from every corner of the U.S. and around the globe including Australia, Mexico, Venezuela, Switzerland, Iran, just to name a few.

Reality vs. Entertainment

LANDMAN uses every horrific oil-patch incident and weaves it into a dramatic storyline with complicated characters. It’s very entertaining. The hit show LANDMAN is about 95% accurate.

To give credit where credit is due though, there are a few minor facts about the key players that the show LANDMAN has altered for entertainment purposes.

Drilling for oil or gas starts with a Geologist who uses his knowledge of the earth’s composition and structure to determine where to drill and directs the landman on where to procure leases.

The Landman negotiates leases with landowners which gives O&G companies the permission to drill. Sometimes that is two separate contracts. One family may own the minerals underneath the surface and another family may own the surface rights. What the Landman can find in courthouse records is nothing short of amazing. They’ll dig back through multiple generations to determine the legal owners of a piece of dirt and break that down into miniscule percentages.

The Petroleum Engineer designs the drilling and completion programs.

It’s the Company Man who runs the show at the drilling site, making sure that the service companies move in and move out when needed. Once the drill bit starts turning, it rarely stops until TD, Total Depth, is reached. One drilling site may involve 40 or more separate companies just on one project.

If the well is successful the completion process begins and there is a whole new group of people needed to bring the crude or natural gas to the surface where it is sent to the refinery. These people work to ensure that the well stays productive.

These people go to work everyday to make your life easier.

The Drilling Rig Crew

There is a rhythm to the work done on the floor of a drilling rig and it is mesmerizing to watch the rig hands. A connection is made when a new joint (30 feet) of pipe is added to the drilling string. One man operates the rig and brake handle, one man operates the tongs (wrench that tightens the pipe joint), one man swings the pipe into place and throws the chain that spins the pipe. It’s almost like watching a ballet with strong backs, deliberate movement, and precise timing when a pipe connection is made. Their focus is entirely on the motion.

Any interruption breaks that rhythm and that’s when injuries happen.

Oil People

For more information, I wrote a book for classrooms titled OIL PEOPLE which goes into more detail about the varied workforce that keeps the oil and gas industry in motion. You can read it now in eBook format or contact me for hardcover rates. Email me now / natalie@nataliebright.com

From the back-breaking labor of drilling to the precision of seismic interpretation, meet the workers who bring you American Energy. For over 150 years, geologists, engineers, and researchers have devoted their life’s work to following the elusive trail of oil, transforming dreams to reality. This hunt is propelled by science and technology, along with the tireless efforts of skilled professionals and dedicated laborers.

Natalie Bright is a blogger, speaker, and author of over 20 books for kids and adults. Her stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications. Her nonfiction book, OIL PEOPLE, was awarded the ADDC Distinguished Service Award. Her cookbook KEEP ‘EM FULL AND KEEP ‘EM ROLLIN’ was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion Award. She holds a BBA from WTSU, and enjoys talking to groups about writing, energy and Texas history. Married to a Petroleum Geologist, they operate wells in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. They also run a cow/calf operation on one of the oldest ranches in the Texas Panhandle. Website / www.nataliebright.com