Last week a friend from our FMCA chapter who also retired from the Oil Patch asked if I had seen this show. Well I hadn't, he said I wouldn't like it and he was right. Watched it last night on TRU @2100C. What a crock of propaganda from Hollywood or wherever it comes from. Not too hard to see that the main purpose is to depict the drilling side of the oil industry as irresponsible, poluting, tobacco spitting, snaggle tooth, whisky drinking, woman chasing slobs. That would have been a semi fair description years ago. Those days are long gone. Yes it's a dirty, hot/cold, wet/dusty job with long hours in remote locations. These rigs on land aren't as sophisticated as the giant offshore ones but they both do the same basic things just not on the same scale.
Myself, Tom Meredith and a few others on this forum have expertise in the oil industry and most of you don't, just like I don't know much about what you did for a living. Hollywood has no desire for Tom and I to watch theri show but they sure want you to so they can run all this propaganda at you and you don't know the difference so they can create an impression of the greedy, unsafe, polluting industry.
I have ranted
Dave

DITTO===My son is a senior manager of large drilling company--he was so outraged with the show he wrote the producers and is sponsoring a boycott of all sponsors- I have not seen the show but my son said they are taking the same approach as some fishing show, no regard for safety, enviromental etc --the oil industry with all the dangers is by far the most safe conceus industry in the world---

now far the good story--got my new home have lots of glitches but workng them out and planning leaving Saturday-------might try to get back to New Orleans on the 21st for a short stay at French Quarter RV--took a break form the bus and went fishing----went out of Garden City--platform 42--limited out on specs largest 7 lbs. Ms Barb and I will have fired trout a la Tom tonight

Tom

I'd believe anything coming out of Hollywood (CA) as quick as I would something coming out of Washington (DC). I have more respect for the working man, than someone who plays a working man.

Tom, congratulations on your catch.

I spent a good bit of my youth in the Permian Basin of West Texas (the setting for Black Gold) and have been associated with the oil and gas business for some 60 years (dad was working for Humble Pipe Line Company when I was born, and I grew up in a pipeline pump station camp.) This show does not accurately represent the professionalism required of personnel who work in the oil patch today, nor does it reflect the environmental concern and oversight that is present throughout the industry.

Black Gold is as accurate in its representation of the oil industry as Superbikes is of all motorcyclists.


Rusty

Nice catch Tom. Did you go out of the Wax Lake Outlet? Never have caught a 7#er but a couple of 6rs. When I was working in the field, late 60s we kept a marine unit at the Texaco Caillou Is field in Timbalier Bay. We'd put the little boat over and go out to this little island about 1/2 mile from the camp and fish the point. We'd load up on 3to5#rs. I'm talking about 30/40 in a couple of hours with 3 fishing using just artificial bait. Then at night we'd go over to a gas flare about a mile away and do it again. On go home day we would bring home somewhere around 100# of fillets. I kept our whole neighborhood supplied with Speckled Trout.
Now remember this was right square in the middle of one of the largest oil/gas fields on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
Dave

Formula TV same as many others

Black Gold . Who can get to 10000 feet first

Deadliest Catch . Who can catch the most crab

Ice Road Truckers (now there is a winner!) . Who can deliver the most loads and make the most money

Dinner Impossible . Some guy has x amount of time to prepare a dinner under adverse conditions

There has to be more, but Ms Carol just yelled that lunch is ready.

What is a "Hollywood"? Do they have any professionals working there?

I said "Hollywood, CA" the land of the industry of people pretending to be other people (similar in some way to con artists) to distinguish it from "Hollywood, FL" once a beautiful city, a great place in which to grow up, and my home town.

Not even the BBC requires its reporters to agree to a code of ethics anymore. Most people's expectations are way too high with regards to the quality of info they are being presented these days. As a self-unemployed professional skeptic, I learned to generally lower my expectations to the point they have already been met in order to avoid disappointment, (and high blood pressure).

Well put Wally, my thoughts on the subject exactly.

Dieselclacker