'Black Gold'

Life and limb are at stake every day in the fast-paced work of a roughneck crew, not to mention millions of dollars from investors anxious to strike it rich.

It's a boom-or-bust business in the oil patch, and a world-class production team is giving TV viewers an up-close look at the swinging metal, scorching heat and bit-turning manpower that drives West Texas oil - a view they'll never get driving past the towering rigs.

Original Productions, known for its Emmy-nominated reality series "Deadliest Catch" and a heap of other storytelling adventures, premieres a local story on Wednesday night that's relevant to every single American.

"Black Gold," an eight-episode series filmed south of Odessa, airs on the truTV network - formerly Court TV - for eight episodes of rough-and-tumble risk and the big rewards of drilling for oil.

Thom Beers, producer and chief executive officer of Original Productions, said he wanted to tell the story of contemporary oil and the blue-collar heroes who stand as the backbone to the country's energy supply.

It took five film crews more than six weeks to complete the show's footage, which captures the essence of Ector County's wide-open spaces, violent weather and dirty work on the rig.

"The visuals are just so awesome - every time I go on location, you have to kind of grab the atmosphere of the place ... figure out how you can create that story visually," Beers said. "It's real, authentic."

"Black Gold" follows the daily race of three drilling rigs- Longhorn, Viking and Big Dog - that were located near the intersection of Highway 385 and FM 1787 last year. The roughnecks working there deal with the danger while trying to stay alive - tense action that the show displays from a close-up view.

"I'm more surprised that people don't get hurt more often - it's slippery as hell, you're working real hard, and there's metal flying everywhere," Beers said. "It's like a ballet - those guys are really talented ... they're gambling everything they got."

Gerald Williams has personal experience with that gamble. The 48-year-old Odessa man has spent 34 years in the drilling business where he's seen acquaintances killed in accidents or been injured himself with a broken back and a severed toe and finger.

"I've been beat up a few times, but it's just like anything else - you do it for a lifetime, and what else are you going to do?" he said. "Everything out there is big, heavy and moves quick - you just have to be quicker."

As daylight driller for Adobe Drilling Services, Williams is featured in the "Black Gold" series as the tough, down-to-business veteran that he is, working a three- or four-man crew seven days a week.

The inexperience of new hands and the harsh conditions are obstacles as crews compete for bragging rights and the approval of the higher echelon that's funding the process.

"You can't ever make holes fast enough for the owner," Williams said. "Anybody hates to see a dry well, but the drillers, we look at it as we got paid to drill a hole."

Williams said he looks forward to watching the good, the bad and the ugly of daily job in the "Black Gold" series and hopes others respect what he does.

"I don't think the public realizes how hard we work or the danger we're exposed to," he said. "They just know that they can go to the pump and fill up - they don't ever think about where it comes from."

Oilman Mike LaMonica, a partner of ExL Petroleum in Midland who also appears in "Black Gold," said his gamble in the business comes from the financial side of things.

"There's a lot of money involved, and there's absolutely no guarantee - there's a lot of risk just to get the well down," he said. "Just because you drill a well in West Texas doesn't mean you're going to hit oil."

The Midland man said he's seen times when the price of oil cut in half overnight, but lately, he's felt success with the 3-year-old company, which has grown to 2,000 barrels of oil each day.

LaMonica said he looks forward to the "Black Gold" premiere and thinks it'll represent the area well.

"Truth is always wonderful and after being in the business for 30-something years, I'm glad to see a show like this," he said.

"Especially if it helps the American people understand that there are people who are doing this for a living, and they have a greater appreciation of the risk."

Beers said "Black Gold" only scratches the surface of the oil industry, but it'll definitely impact viewers.

Even though the stakes are high, the characters display a heart that's more valuable than the sweet smell of crude.

"I think (the public's) going to understand a little more about the actual cost of oil," he said. "Energy is a big deal for us right now, the time and cost - this is the kind of story that everyone in the country will want to watch."

WANT TO WATCH?
>> The new Original Productions real-life series ‘Black Gold' premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday on truTV.
>> Find the truTV network at channel 204 on Dish Network, 246 on Direct TV and 75 for Grande Communications customers.