Texas Cowmen
Wildcatters – Independent Oilmen of the Permian Basin
This series, with its never-before-seen videos and story content, is essential for telling the real-life story of the oil patch. The industry that made American dreams come alive is often viewed with prejudice and cynicism. It is often taxed with minimal justification, ignored when it loses money, and penalized when it is profitable. Yet the real behind-the-scenes story of the world’s strongest industry remains untold. This series is not confrontational, but it will entertain and educate the broader American public about the true character of the people whose quest for profit and excellence has helped make this country an economic powerhouse. In this series, their larger-than-life exploits and emphasis on “luck” will not overshadow their successes achieved through hard work, insight, and drive. The story of their resilience, combined with their technological and scientific innovations, conveys the true heart of wildcatters.
Each episode is an engaging mix of contemporary footage, historical narratives, technical animations, and tall-but-true tales from the oilmen themselves. Using cutting-edge 3D animation, “Wildcatters” draws viewers into the complex world of the oilfield and plunges them deep into the subsurface to watch technology at work. The series exposes the breadth of the industry, illustrating how geology, chemistry, math, economics, business theory, and even philanthropy are applied in the oilfield.
About the Series
The 4-part pilot series, produced in 2007, was a general overview of the intended 13-part series. These first four half-hour episodes highlight pioneers, innovators, partnerships, and family heritages that have made a significant impact on the oil and gas industry in the Petroleum Basin. The story of their resilience, combined with their technological and scientific innovations, conveys the true heart of wildcatters.
In 1923, the surprisingly successful Santa Rita No. 1 well opened the door for West Texas, and specifically the Permian Basin, to become one of the richest oil-producing regions in the world. One of the most well-known wildcatters drawn to this plentiful ground is Clayton Williams, a real scrapper of an oilman for whom winning and losing millions is commonplace. Interspersed with Williams’ story are explanations of porosity, permeability, and the revolutionizing effect of 3D-Seismic technology.
After Santa Rita No. 1’s remarkable discovery in the Big Lake field, Pennsylvania wildcatter Michael Benedum was invited to come down and develop the play. His next Texas discovery was the Yates field. Record-making wells soon sprang up across the field, including the Yates 30-A in 1929, which set a world record with 8,528 barrels of oil per hour. During the 20th century, methods for extracting oil improved dramatically. Cable tool rigs were replaced by rotary rigs, and, in the 1990s, horizontal drilling became a feasible way to reach oil that was non-commercial vertically. One of the first modern-day wildcatters to effectively use horizontal drilling is David H. Arrington. A self-made millionaire by age 27, Arrington exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of the wildcatter with stories of shrewd deal-making and calculated risk-taking.
In 1949, the Scurry County field transformed the town of Snyder into a bustling boomtown and turned Joseph I. O’Neill, Jr., a novice oil-lease broker from the East, into a well-known West Texas wildcatter. O’Neill gained national recognition for his role in Scurry County’s development when Life magazine featured him in a 1949 article. Nearly two decades later, another West Texas oilfield drew widespread attention. In August 1966, Joe Gifford’s first well, the #1 Wolf Unit, erupted with a spectacular blowout, estimated at a hundred million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The expertise of Red Adair and his red-clad men was ultimately needed to put out the raging, 48-day fire. This episode also explores another type of explosion, the intentional kind called “fracing,” that is used for rock with low permeability.
Episode 4
Oilmen past and present have contributed generously to their communities. Early wildcatter George T. Abell poured his petroleum wealth into the Abell-Hanger Foundation and the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Following in Abell’s footsteps, contemporary oilman Jim Henry also freely gives his time, money, and talent to local nonprofits like United Way and Casa de Amigos. A variety of community representatives affirm the oil industry’s importance, discussing oilmen’s initiation and continuation of many charitable organizations. This episode also covers an important type of service company: the chemical supplier that mixes solutions for oil flow problems. Also explored are the methods of storing and transporting oil.
Interviewees in the series.
Arden Grover
Arlen Edgar
Bob Landreth
Buddy Branum
Cadell Liedtke
Clay Bomer
Clayton Williams
Charles Weiner
Dan Smith
David Arrington
Decker Dawson
Don Evans
Don McGookey
Dr. Diana Olien Hinton
Earle Rodman
Earnest Angelo
Hoxie Smith
Jan Donnelly O’Neill
Joe Gifford
Joe O’Neill, III
Jim Henry
Kathy Shannon
Kenny Jastro
Myra Robinson
Rex Jasper, Jr.
Rudy Kuzmich
Steve Melzer
Tom Coleman
Wesley Bownds
How we got started
Frustrated with one-sided negative news stories about the oil industry, Don Poage and I compared notes one day, and I mentioned that I would like to convey the Industry’s story. At the same time, we had realized some of the industry’s greats had already passed away and were passing away. Both with our own past experiences in the industry and Don’s knowledge of oilmen, we decided to start with Tom Brown, the owner of the drilling company I broke out with in 1980. The only problem was that he passed away before we could do the interview. Don Evans was gracious enough to sit down and briefly tell Tom’s story a month after the funeral. We then spent the next year trying to raise enough money to archive other interviews.
Our first interview with Don Evans about Tom Brown was an eye-opening experience about the men and women of the Industry. What a valuable asset our country would have if we could provide video archives of all interviews to the Petroleum Museum and other museums, communicate the industry to the general public nationally through broadcast programs, and educate young people about the industry on school campuses. Plus, the materials we might generate may also be used to recruit high-quality individuals to the industry and to convey technical and geological information to study groups.
Jon Lindgren,
Producer/Director, Wildcatters – Independent Oilmen of the Permian Basin