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Are you guys watching this?  It’s freakin’ great.  I know Aaron loves Dangerous Catch. This is right up your alley.  I spend the entire episode waiting for someone to die or get gravely injured.  You have to watch it.

Is Black Gold the unofficial sequel to Ice Road Truckers?

What network? I’ve never heard of this

It’s on something called TruTV.

alyssa - 27 June 2008 05:29 AM

Is Black Gold the unofficial sequel to Ice Road Truckers?

According to their website, it’s from the producers of “Deadliest Catch”.

http://www.trutv.com/shows/black_gold/

I will definitely check that out. I’ve never heard of TruTV, but I’ll find episodes of it.

Black Gold has its moments but its not half the show Deadliest Catch is. Come on, some guys putting tubes in the ground vs being out on the freaking Bering Sea?? I don’t see a platform full of roughnecks dying during a season. That’s some hard core stuff.

I haven’t seen Black Gold but Deadliest Catch is starting to bore the shit out of me. That only took like 5 episodes. That one captain from the Nina is an ass, the Pinta is broke down and the Santa Maria is way behind on crab load. It’s pretty much the same every season from what I’ve seen.

Yeah, I’m really starting to get burnt out on Deadliest Catch

I know a few people that work on oil rigs…they say the show is all BS. Then I read this and it only backs them up more…

AADE Response to TV Show “Black Gold”
July 2008

If you have not seen the TV series “Black Gold”, you have probably heard about it.  I have seen the episodes to date as well as heard a lot about it from colleagues and co-workers.  Based on the reviews I have read on line as well as the show’s trailers, the show has attracted quite a following:  “It’s undeniably entertaining” – Variety,  “ .... you’ve got a show that’s at once an amalgam of every good-ole-boy cliché and utterly authentic” – Dallas Morning News.  To the average person unfamiliar with a well run drilling operation the show is captivating, and interesting….it is also wrong on so many levels.  In the view of the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE) this show is a disgrace to our industry.  “Black Gold” does not represent the efficient, safe and environmentally responsible drilling operations conducted by the majority of Oil and Gas Operators and Drilling Contractors, but rather panders to the stereotypes of our industry that have been invalid for decades. 

First, the basic premise of the show is incorrect: three adjacent rigs competing against one another to reach the same reservoir first.  This premise is nothing more than false drama.  Competition for leases is conducted during the planning and lease-purchasing phase of exploration and development not actual well operations.  This just confirms the view many of us hold about a portion of the media; any premise is justified to develop a sense of urgency and interest to maintain the viewer.  However, what is more disturbing is the program’s utter disregard for Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE) that is exhibited on so many levels.  Left unchallenged, this disregard for HSE becomes the dominant view the public holds of how we, the oil and gas industry run our operations. 

On the environmental side; the images of mud spills resulting from careless and improper operating practices gives the impression that all drilling operations inflict a high level of environmental damage.  For dramatic effect the crews do not utilize a mud saver valve on the Kelly nor do they even use a mud bucket to divert the mud back to the circulating system.  I started my drilling career in 1981 as a Mud Engineer in the over-thrust belt of western Wyoming, even then the mud saver valve and mud bucket were standard equipment on all rigs for safety and to prevent the loss of expensive mud.  For this show to continuously show no mud management while tripping, and the failure to use technology that is over 30 years old, suggest the producers are paying the crews to intentionally engage in unsafe acts for dramatic effect.  This unfortunately reinforces common stereotypes about the dangers and dirty nature of drilling.

In the areas of Health, and Safety the shows also comes up way short.  Safety Meetings and the use of even basic job safety analysis are non-existent. The crews routinely neglect to use proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In most scenes the crews wear only hardhats, no safety glasses, no gloves and no hearing protection.  The rig equipment is pre 1980’s, without even basic automation to increase crew safety.  The show portrays an over emphasis on getting the job done quickly with no emphasis on body placement and only generic references to working safe.  Repeated viewing of such a disregard for the use of PPE coupled with little to no safety culture on these rigs makes a knowledgeable viewer question whether operators and contractors such as those depicted in “Black Gold” even have a viable HSE department.  Does their management even understand the basics of safety management or safety systems?  If this is a “True” reality show, and the program is an honest portrayal of these contractors operations the answer is no.

Actions displayed on the show would bring immediate dismissal from any reputable operator or drilling contractor.  In addition to the lack of proper PPE, new crewmembers are allowed to work alone with no supervision while hoisting pipe to the rig floor.  If there were any JSAs (Job Safety Analyses) completed prior to operations, it is not evident in the actions of the crews and, more disturbing, not evident in the actions of rig site management.  Many of the activities seem staged for the camera to reinforce old stereotypes rather than provide an accurate representation of the working environment on the majority of drilling operations onshore or offshore. 

The announcer repeatedly reminds the viewer that when the rig is behind schedule, safety takes a backseat.  This is entirely counter to the “Stop the Job”, “Goal Zero”, “One Accident is too Many” culture that is endorsed and utilized by the majority of operators and contractors.  Among reputable operators and contractors the HSE culture is based on the belief that accident free operations are not only possible but expected.  International Association of Drilling Contractor (IADC) and OSHA statistics show a consistently improving accident rate in rig operations. In Safety, the Exploration & Production business is actually one of the safer industries, with an overall TRIR of 2.0 (OSHA 2006).  TRIR is the Total Recordable Incident Rate, and the number is meant to reflect how many incidents occur in a workforce of approximately 100 people over a full year.  For rig operations specifically, the TRIR is 5.1 onshore, 1.4 Offshore and averages 2.1 worldwide (IADC, 2007 YTD).  This compares to 5.1 for construction and 6.0 for manufacturing.  To really put Safety in perspective, the average 2.1 TRIR for rig operations is lower than the 3.3 TRIR for Real Estate!  You are safer on the rig floor than driving around with a real estate agent.  IADC records show there are rigs onshore and offshore that go years with out a recordable accident.  In our industry we have rigs that have never had a lost time accident, from start up these rigs have operated years with out a single lost time accident. Accident free operations are not only possible, they should be the expectation.  The mindset displayed on “Black Gold” that “people will get hurt”, “accidents will happen” and “you have to be crazy to do what we do” is unacceptable and inaccurate. 

This show has been the subject of much discussion amongst the AADE board members.  It is the position of AADE that Operator and Drilling Contractor management is responsible for providing a strong HSE culture for crews to work safely at the rig site. We recognize there are some elements of “Black Gold” which portray the oil field spirit.  Understanding the personal situation of your crew and providing additional chances, ensuring your crew is fed while pulling a double shift in spite of upsetting the Tool Pusher, in short, doing the right thing.  It is not our intention to belittle those individuals not fortunate enough to work on an operation managed by the majority of reputable operators and contractors.  They have a right to make a living.  It is our opinion that these employees are also entitled to work in a supportive HSE culture where accident free operations are encouraged, supported and expected.  The bottom line is our industry operates with high pressures, heavy loads and heavy equipment.  There are risks associated with our operations; however, that does not mean accidents will happen.  We can perform our work accident free.  The majority of our industry rig operations are executed day in and day out accident free, and that should be the expectation. 

Sadly, the operational environment depicted in “Black Gold” does exist in pockets of our industry.  Fortunately such an environment does not exist among the reputable drilling contractors and operators that make up the majority of our industry.  Many companies refuse to do business with contractors that operate with a disregard for HSE as seen on “Black Gold”.  It is the view of AADE that more industry leaders need to speak out and reinforce the opinion that operations such as those depicted on “Black Gold” are unacceptable and should be stopped.  The program is a disgrace to the industry; it is more of a “Black Eye” than “Black Gold”.

Joe Leimkuhler
President
American Association of Drilling Engineers

Um wow Dave, thats awesome

Has anyone checked out Ax Men?  Is of the same vein as Deadliest Catch and what not.

How about that new reality competition show coming soon from the makers of all of those shows?  I can’t remember the name of it but they show a preview of some chick getting jacked up by a bull in a rodeo or something. 

I tried to watch ax men and found it completely uninteresting and boring as hell. But thats just me.

I have no doubt that the show does a lot of editing to make it look more dramatic.  There is no way people would do that job with the lack of safety displayed on there.  I also thought it was weird that three teams would be competing to drill the same hole. I always thought you were rewarded contracts unless they did something special just for this series.  Who knows. 

You’ll notice it’s pretty much only one team from each crew that is featured.  It’s probably so they can make it look more dangerous without causing too many safety violations.

Thanks for posting that Dave.