Black Gold

Synopsis

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.

First Air Date: 2008-06-18

Last Air Date: 2013-02-20

Number of Seasons: 5

Number of Episodes: 44

Created By: Thom Beers

Networks: truTV

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Seasons

Season 1 (2008) - (8 Episodes)

Season 2 (2009) - (8 Episodes)

Season 3 (2010) - (10 Episodes)

Season 4 (2011) - (8 Episodes)

Season 5 (2012) - (10 Episodes)

Season 1 (2008)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Black Gold 101 (2008-06-18)

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.
Ep. 2: Black Gold 102 (2008-06-25)

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."
Ep. 3: Black Gold 103 (2008-07-02)

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.
Ep. 4: Black Gold 104 (2008-07-09)

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.
Ep. 5: Black Gold 105 (2008-07-16)

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.
Ep. 6: Black Gold 106 (2008-07-23)

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.
Ep. 7: Black Gold 107 (2008-07-30)

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.
Ep. 8: Black Gold 108 (2008-08-06)

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.