Original title
Black Gold
Released
6/18/2008
Origin country
US
Genre
Documentary, Reality
Production companies
Original Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
5
Number of episodes
45
Black Gold is a reality-documentary television series that chronicles three oil drilling rigs in Andrews County, Texas, 30 miles northwest of Odessa. It is partly produced by Thom Beers, creator of Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers. The Black Gold theme song is sung by country music star Trace Adkins. The title "Black Gold" comes from a slang term for oil. Black Gold airs Wednesday nights on truTV at 10pm. It is also shown as a special presentation on TNT in high definition. The show also airs in the United Kingdom on Five, under the title Oil Riggers.
In the West Texas oilfields, three crews of roughnecks hit the ground running in the race for Black Gold, but all three face disaster on day one. The Viking rig has all the advantages that come with being state-of-the-art, but the crew can barely get the system started. On the tried-and-true Longhorn rig, the smallest roughneck, Peanut, gets crushed by a piece of equipment. And one crew leader will not survive the end of the first week.
The race heats up in the oilfield. Longhorn Driller Gerald has his team in the lead but when a no-show puts the crew in jeopardy, the no-nonsense driller explodes. Wayne and the Viking crew work 'round the clock to go from dead last to neck and neck with the Longhorn men. Driller Justin takes over the powerful Big Dog rig, only to find out he's up against the toughest challenge he's ever faced: "The Well from Hell."
There's big trouble on the rigs this week. Gerald's Longhorn crew is about to hit the pay zone, when suddenly, a crisis forces them to pull all their pipe out of the ground. Danger strikes Wayne and the Viking crew and one of his roughnecks could be down for the count. On the Big Dog rig, Driller Justin tries to show his rookie Derek the ropes, but the good times don't last long.
Tempers flare on the West Texas oil rigs. The mighty Big Dog driller, Justin, is beginning to lose patience with his rookie Derek - planting the seeds for an explosive showdown. A tiny substance causes devastating problems for Wayne and the Viking crew, as they struggle to find oil. And, Gerald gets tough with his Longhorn crew but things get tougher when one of his roughnecks get seriously hurt.
The West Texas oilfields unleash their fury in tonight's episode. Good-guy driller Wayne can do nothing as his crew is taken out by injuries. The powerful Big Dog rig is ground to a halt and driller Justin's job is on the line. On the Longhorn rig, no-nonsense driller Gerald is pushing his crew past their breaking point and winds up paying the ultimate price for it.
The pressure is on as time begins to run out for the crews racing to strike oil. In dead-last place, the brawny Big Dog rig completes one hole and moves on to the next, but old tensions flare between Derek and Justin, threatening their progress. The Viking crew overcomes all obstacles to reach pay dirt on hole number two. And, a change in the Longhorn rig could put the entire crew in danger.
Long-burning fuses come to a head in the pressure cooker of the West Texas oilfields. In last place, Driller Justin is reaching his boiling point trying to train his difficult rookie, Derek. The young, inexperienced crew of the Longhorn rig must deal with a poisonous, and deadly, gas leak. And just when things start looking good for the high-tech Viking rig, Wayne and his crew face a crisis that could destroy their well.
It's do or die time in the West Texas oilfields. The tension between Big Dog's driller, Justin, and his rookie, Derek, comes to a head, and only one is left standing. On the Longhorn rig, the young driller and his crew get reckless and pay the ultimate price. Wayne and his hard-working Viking crew make an unexpected discovery that could turn a common gamble into a huge fortune.
Oilfield veteran, Gerald Williams attempts to show rookie Cheston the ropes. Plus, on the night shift, driller Ron is forced to deal with the flaring tempers of his crew. And, when Travis the new guy on the rig shows up late on his first day, hothead Brandon challenges him to a good ol' fashion throwdown.
Veteran Gerald makes a rookie error that could cost everyone their jobs. Meanwhile, Pee Wee is pulling out all the stops to get Cheston to quit. And, things on the night crew get testy when Brandon makes a huge mistake that brings drilling to a screeching halt.
The crews of Big Dog 28 are on edge as they race to finish the second of four wells in 50 days. When Tool Pusher Freddy may have pushed the crews too far, as driller Oscar threatens to quit on him. Meanwhile, Worm Cheston makes a mistake that threatens the lives of everyone on the rig, and Gerald uses the opportunity to put himself in the running for driller Pee Wee's job.
Cheston pushes Pee Wee to his breaking point, and even Gerald's had enough of the rig's worm. Meanwhile, Ron's evening crew loses a roughneck to another company and is forced to break in a new hand who calls himself "Tank." Plus, the roughnecks are faced with "The Hole from Hell."
When the rig isn't drilling Big Dog owner Autry Stephens is on the verge of firing the crew. Worm Cheston finally gets in the good graces of his hotheaded driller Pee Wee, but learns it's sometimes dangerous to get what you wish for. And, night driller Ron finds Tank's attitude harder to manage as the ex prizefighter struggles with keeping his tank-sized ego from exploding.
Driller Pee Wee may find himself without a job after pushing the rig too hard. Plus, veteran Gerald makes a poor decision that could change the course of his life. Then, when Ron takes things too far with Travis, the roughneck walks off the job and it could be for good. And, Tool pusher Jerry takes over for Freddy, but when he goes to lend a hand on the rig floor, he literally comes face-to-face with the force of the spinning chain.
Disaster strikes Big Dog 28 when a snapped chain leaves tool pusher Jerry blind in one eye. Plus, after being fired, Gerald finds an unlikely source of income. Then, Pee wee kicks Cheston off the day crew for mouthing off to the other hands, while Tank's reckless attitude puts the night crew in danger. When the fighting becomes too much, Supervisor David Kiser must decide who stays and who goes.
The roughnecks have only three days left to finish the final hole when all hell breaks loose. Two of the most troubled roughnecks swap shifts; one of the most experienced hands takes a pipe spinner to the head and is rushed to the hospital; and an unscheduled drug test sends panic through one roughneck's veins. As if that isn't enough, rig owners lose confidence and contemplate handing out pink slips.
The roughnecks of Rig 28 are back and taking on their riskiest mission yet as they're forced to drill on untested land, with a new boss in town - the hot-tempered, meddling lady rancher who owns the land.
Landowner Peggy welcomes the roughnecks with an apple pie and a threat. Then, legendary roughneck Gerald strips down to his underwear when he gets ants in his pants. Plus, Cheston and Brandon have another fight. And, Tank receives devastating news.
A driller quits and the roughnecks vie for his job. Brandon fights with a repair technician; Freddy and Josh clash over the promotion of the new driller.
First, Freddy tries to bribe landowner Peggy. Then, Tank goes to the airport to get his wife back before it’s too late. Plus, Cheston is the victim of a terrifying accident.
First, Peggy catches a roughneck relieving himself on her property. Then, Freddy clashes with the roughnecks over an annoying to-do list. Plus, Tank is mysteriously AWOL from work. And, a vicious lightning storm cripples the rig.
It's Judgement Day for Rig 28, and the threat of being shut down has the roughnecks at each other’s throats. Plus, Gerald trespasses on private property, and faces Peggy the landowner's wrath.
First, a promotion shakes things up on the rig. Then, a drug test may end Tank's career. And, Freddy and Jerry's power struggle explodes into an all out fight.
Tank and Cheston get into a brutal fight. And when Cheston returns to the rig, Tank comes looking for revenge. Plus, Peggy confronts Oscar who is in over his head.
Peggy fires her gun at a roughneck's truck. And, still reeling from his fight with Tank, Cheston may quit the rig.
Peggy fires her gun at a roughneck's truck. And, still reeling from his fight with Tank, Cheston may quit the rig.
Hot-headed Driller, Brandon Watson, has new marching orders: find a top secret oil reserve and protect it from hungry competitors at all costs. When he tries assembling a crack team, they immediately get off to a rocky start. Plus, a power outage and the appearance a mysterious truck raises suspicions of sabotage.
Tension rises between Cheston and the Wheeler twins, and after a long day of arguing, things get physical. While on his way to a DWI class, Brandon has a run-in with the law, which could land him in jail
The long arm of the law catches up with Brandon Watson, and the Big Dog driller could face hard time. Brandon finds trouble on the job too when a slacker crew sent to help with the rig move mouths off - forcing him to challenge them to an afterhours fight.
Cheston guns for a promotion but his plan ends up backfiring when he finds himself fighting to keep his job; drilling on the rig comes to a stop with the arrival of a competitor's rig; Brandon finds himself in a pickle after a petty incident involving a sandwich mix-up.
Cheston tries to get his job back but Brandon is reluctant to rehire him. Meanwhile, a $50,000 bit goes missing and drilling is shut down, but Oscar has an idea of who took it; and there's an instance of roughneck betrayal that causes problems.
In the most dramatic episode of Black Gold yet, Brandon's demons catch up with him, leaving Aaron Wheeler a victim of a brutal assault. With felony assault charges looming overhead, Driller Brandon Watson is forced to turn himself in to the Federal Marshalls.
Brandon's absence makes things difficult on Rig 28; Josh's rodeo ride could get him tossed from the job; Tank seeks a barroom brawl rematch with Cheston.
A rival driller pays a visit to Oscar and his crew on Rig 28; competition intensifies as the crew finishes the third and final leg of Big Dog's challenge. Later, the remaining roughnecks await news of their long-awaited bonuses.
The 5th season of Black Gold gets off to a hot start with temps - and tempers - rising, with no end in sight. Brandon struggles to keep a crew on Rig 28, and puts his hands at risk by running a bare bones operation. When a worm hits the dirt, it could be the end of his drilling days. Cheston's found a new gig with plenty of perks, but gets lonely on his own.
Brandon does not show up for work and is kicked out by his girlfriend; the crew gets some much needed reinforcement.
Brandon gives Cheston a lesson in drilling; Cheston risks his friendship with Brandon; the landowner reiterates a deadline to Oscar; Brandon has legal troubles.
Cheston walks a fine line between loyalty and self preservation when Brandon lets him down yet again, and he must seek out the help of a rival driller - behind his best friend's back. Brandon is put on final notice by Oscar when his own job is threatened. And, a worm's butterfingers might cost the rig big time, as a small mistake halts drilling - and could spell a stack out for the rough necks.
A deadly gas build up threatens the crew, and it's up to Brandon to soar high above the rig to try and relieve the pressure. Things turn tense when Freddie comes by for an impromptu rig inspection, and the friction between the boys builds up at couples therapy.? They try at let loose with some lakeside R&R, but the law is not far behind.
Brandon runs into legal problems and is upset when Cheston doesn't bail him out; and to compound matters, Oscar is tiring of Brandon's all-too-frequent no-shows. Later, Cheston squares off against Mitch in a battle for the vacant driller position.
A dangerous explosion rocks the roughnecks of Rig 28, and it's an all-out sprint to finish the fourth and final hole before the looming deadline. With no driller to take charge, Freddie commands Oscar to do it himself. That doesn't sit well with Mitch, who's been gunning for the job. A battle between the two leaves only one man standing - but not for long, as an injury takes out a key player. And finally, Brandon's long awaited day in court arrives, and he must face the consequences of last year's brutal assault.
When a pressure spike causes a cave in and brings the rig to a screeching halt, Oscar steps up to the drilling slot to keep the rig running. A visit from his family reminds him of what is truly at stake. With their competition to become a Big Dog driller on hold, Mitch and Cheston have a spitting contest of sorts - roughneck style. Cheston's attempt to earn bonus points with Oscar by helping out with rig repairs backfires - big time. And a heart to heart with his father brings Brandon to tears - and closer to the root of his anger issues.
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