( brendan laughing ) captioned by soundwriters™ >> narrator: deep in west texas... [ rattling ] ...one oil rig is in a battle... >> go! go, go, go! >> narrator: ...with itself. >> i'm gonna punch you in your [bleep] face! >> get ready to work. >> get the [bleep] off the floor! >> we don't work at banks. >> don't [bleep] talk [bleep] about me, boy. >> we don't work at the [bleep] mall. >> get the [bleep] out of here. >> no, dude. >> i mean, we work in living hell. >> whoo-hoo! >> narrator: they'll endure pain... >> ugh! >> look out! >> narrator: ...and exhaustion... >> [ vomits ] >> narrator: ...as they attempt the impossible. >> drilling 4 holes in 50 days -- man, that's gonna be tough. >> narrator: now the pressure's building. >> hey, watch out, man! >> they can kill and eat each other as far as i'm concerned. >> narrator: and they'll keep on fighting... >> you want some? >> narrator: ...just for a taste... >> oil field, baby! love it! love it and want some more of

it. >> narrator: ...of black gold. >> ♪ another long day, another hard night ♪ ♪ keep it on the bottom, turn it to the right ♪ ♪ cut-up, banged-up, busted bones ♪ ♪ a lot of good men give their souls ♪ ♪ for black gold >> whoo-hoo! >> ♪ black gold >> narrator: previously on "black gold"... the roughnecks finally conquered the well from hell. >> bam! >> one, two, three. >> narrator: after a wild night celebrating his engagement, gerald was two hours late for his shift. >> got drunk last night. you want me to fire him, you want me to let him work, or what? okay, bye. >> narrator: and just like that, he's gone.

on big dog 28, driller pee wee and the day crew are racing to pull two miles of pipe out of the hole. >> watch that chain. >> narrator: with gerald gone, pee wee's working the floor, and toolpusher jerry steps in as driller. >> oh, that man down don't affect me at all. i'll drill and send that driller down there. we won't have no problem. >> narrator: but after surviving 40 years as a roughneck, the oil field strikes back. the spinning chain snaps, smashing jerry's face with flying steel. >> damn, jerry, you okay? >> [ groans ] >> you all right, jerry? >> ah [bleep] i can't see.

>> what happened? what happened? >> watch your step. >> spinning chain broke. >> [bleep] damn it. >> get in there. >> i guess that spinning chain broke and hit him right between the eyes. >> [ groans ] i can't see out of that one eye. >> you got another cut on your cheek over here. >> it's that part right there. feel that. >> yeah. >> what is that? >> it's just where your glasses -- where your glasses mashed up on you.

>> is he gonna be okay? it just cut him in the head, huh? >> narrator: the crew's favorite toolpusher is rushed to the hospital with a broken nose and blind in one eye. >> seeing jerry threw me for a loop. i had a bad feeling about today. the way i was looking att today. everything, i made sure i was not in a bad position, and i damn near was. i sit there, what, six inches away from jerry getting slapped in the face with a chain? and i hope he's okay. i really do. >> everybody that knows jerry -- i've known him ever since i broke out. he's like my grandpa, you know? he always breaks his back just to help us out as much as he can. i'd do anything for that old man. >> narrator: at 2:00 p.m., driller ron's night crew hits

the rig to finish pulling pipe. with three holes down, they're preparing to move the rig to the last well, and they're still a week behind. last shift, travis was a no-show. today, kody's back to fill in, but before they can get to work, drilling supervisor david kiser calls a safety meeting. >> if you have to use a chain, make [bleep] sure it ain't in the crack. just be careful. don't get... >> back to work, man. >> narrator: there's still a mile of steel to pull out of the hole... but with one roughneck down for the count, driller ron's got his eye on tank, the night crew's biggest safety hazard. >> tank, you got to help him. don't just stand there. first day -- first time doing

the laydown. i got to watch him pretty close, make sure he don't get hurt, put his hands where they ain't supposed to be. >> narrator: tank's only been on the rig two weeks, and he's already stacked up just as many safety violations. >> new hand we got, tank -- no steel-toed boots. >> balls, man. you gonna fire me? >> i'm not firing you, but you got to get some steel-toed boots. "keeps glasses behind his head, not on his eyes." am i right or wrong? >> you're right. >> sign it right there. >> narrator: today he keeps turning his back to the 600-pound pipes, a mistake that could get him killed. >> time-out! time-out! do not -- do not stand under that. >> we're all going in different directions. >> well, know where you're going, know what's above your head. that's the last time i'm gonna tell you. this is not a daycare center. i'm not gonna [bleep] babysit.

you got to babysit him. i got a two-year-old grandbaby. i ain't got to watch her this close. >> ron got pretty hot with me. he got pretty bent out of shape. i'm doing the "yes, sir/no, sir" thing to him, even though i'm older than him. i really just can't figure him out, but that's neither here nor there. he's the boss. >> narrator: after eight hours of tripping pipe, the drill bit finally hits the surface. but with less than two weeks to drill the final well and save their jobs, the crew can't wait to leave the well from hell in the west texas dust. >> i mean, i want this [bleep] to get over with, man. i mean, we've been on this well way too long. i want to go to the next one, dude. i mean, i'm tired of this [bleep] well. i'm pretty sure everybody else on this rig is, man. >> [bleep] sucks. i want to [bleep] cry.

>> narrator: back in midland, jerry and his wife are at the hospital. the veteran roughneck's got a broken nose, 32 stitches in his face, and he's blind in his right eye. >> if you got two of them, you don't have to worry about it. >> except for the swelling. >> ooh, that's hot. >> yes. we call it "jalapeño drops." >> well, it's pretty hot, i'm telling you that. ooh, that's way hot. >> okay. here you go. all right, let me see your vision, all right? >> okay. >> give you a bigger chart here. what can you see there? >> what can i see? >> right. >> i see a dot. >> what about the other eye? >> yeah, i can see good that one. >> please come forward, sir.

look straight ahead. >> i know he's tough. he can take the pain, and most things that would, you know, really hurt somebody -- they don't hurt him.ebody -- they so, he's always been lucky that way. >> narrator: any normal person would be worried about their vision, but jerry's only concern is getting back to rig 28. >> he's gonna sign the release, and i'm gonna go, or i'll fire him. >> i don't think it's gonna be that easy. >> i'll get another doctor. he will release me, or i'll fire him. >> you can't just fire the doctor, jerry. >> yes, you can. >> no, you can't. >> he works for me. anybody who works for me i can fire. >> you're a very lucky man because the injury you sustained is mostly in the front. there is no injury to the back of the eye, which are usually more serious. and i'd like to see you back next week to see how you're doing. >> okay, but i'm going to work this afternoon.

>> i'm not sure whether you can. >> yeah, i can. >> well, i cannot give you the release to go back to work because -- >> well, we'll get another doctor. >> well, that's your choice, sir. >> 'cause i'm going to work this afternoon. >> well, in my opinion, i don't think you're safe to go to work because the blood in your eye prevents you from having a good depth perception. >> oh, no, i can see out the other eye. it's my job. i don't get back out there, i'll be on the unemployment line. i don't want that. >> narrator: coming up... >> shut the [bleep] up, dude. >> narrator: ...cheston and pee wee go at it again. >> get the [bleep] out of here, mother [bleep] >> narrator: and later, the hope of drilling 4 wells in 50 days goes up in smoke. >> pick this mother [bleep] up. goes up in smoke. >> pick this mother [bleep] up. shut it down! but put a ring of cheese in the crust and...jackpot!

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>> narrator: it's rig-move day on big dog 28. every crew's on site working together, racing to escape the well from hell and get the half million tons of steel to the next location. >> oh, lord. here we go again. >> narrator: it's the most

important rig move of their career, and there's no way toolpusher jerry was going to ride the bench. with a broken nose, stitches in his face, and blind in one eye, he's convinced a doctor to release him for work. with his pride, his job, and his health on the line, jerry's risking it all to help big dog 28 finish 4 wells in 50 days. >> ain't nothing gonna stop me. this is my job. oh.s is my job. >> it was good seeing jerry back on the rig, man, but when he took his sunglasses off, bro, i was [bleep] freaking out, dude. i didn't -- i mean, i was like, "ah!" i mean, i was like, "whoa, mother [bleep] what the [bleep]" i mean, i knew he got hit by a chain. i know he got his nose broke. i know he got stitches and [bleep] but, man, that's a [bleep] up deal, man. he's [bleep]

he really did get hurt. >> he's a tough guy. apparently, he's irish. i mean, his eye -- it looked like he got stomped on by a football team in cleats or something. >> i mean, it's good to see jerry come back today. i mean, he's a trouper. he really is a trouper. it reminds me of when i played sports and i'd get banged up. i wanted to be out there playing sports. there's no time waiting for this and that. i wanted to be out there on the field. >> i'm ready to go another round. >> narrator: after delays and breakdowns on the well from hell, big dog 28's over a week behind schedule. with only 12 days remaining to drill the last hole and saveto their jobs, they need a smooth rig move. >> they're on a mission to try to get this next well started, so we got to try to run through our asses like circus horses to try to get it done. they put them trucks in here this morning, and we don't have no say-so over it. we just got to get the job done. that's what they hired us for. >> big dog -- hurry the [bleep]

up and get on the next hole. >> narrator: and the first step is lowering the derrick. [ crash ] >> touchdown. nasa, we are down on the ground. >> narrator: with the derrick down, the day crew's now in charge of taking apart the floor. big dog's replacing gerald with jeff, an experienced hand who's worked with pee wee before. >> old jeff's back with you now. >> what do you say to that? hey, guys. >> i say, "yay!" >> [ laughs ]y!" >> he ain't worked with old cheston. that ought to be exciting right there itself. everybody just work together and be safe today.

>> tie them tongs, jeff. we'll take them tongs down. >> narrator: and on his first day back, jeff's been saddled with worm watch. >> watching? >> yeah. you know where i tie this one? >> no, right here. i decided to look after cheston. that way, we don't have no problems. that way, everything's a lot smoother than what it's going right now. >> i mean, these guys have been doing this for four, five, six, seven years. you know, i'm pretty sure they know what comes after "b." you know, "c." >> narrator: after six weeks on the rig and two rig moves, cheston should be getting the hang of it. >> pull that bolt. no, the bolt first. pull the bolt first. >> you know what? let me pull this first. >> no, don't pull that first. now that bitch will fall. pull it out that way. >> huh? >> grab right here and pull that way. grab right here. >> huh? >> put your hands right here. no, right here. and then pull that way.

ready? >> yeah. wiggle it. >> hold on. hold on. ready? >> yeah, i got it. >> narrator: but without step-by-step instructions, he's lost. >> you know, breaking everything down, they have their process and steps, you know, one thing after another. you know, i don't really remember those steps. >> narrator: even worse, the worm's mouth is slowing down the entire rig move. >> you got to tell me [bleep] to do, dawg. >> huh? >> you got to tell me [bleep] to do. >> how many rig moves you been on? how many rig moves? >> two. >> that's ridiculous. that's [bleep] ridiculous. >> shut the [bleep] up, dude. >> [bleep] ridiculous. >> yeah, i got it all, bro. 100%. >> well, hurry the [bleep] then if you got it all. >> i'm being sarcastic, idiot. i'm sure you had it after two rig moves, didn't you? >> what? >> i'm sure you had it after two rig moves. >> damn sure knew more than you.

>> i doubt it. >> narrator: and everyone's noticing cheston's attitude, especially driller pee wee. >> i'll still have a mother [bleep] job out here while your ass goes to the [bleep] house 'cause you don't know a [bleep] damn thing. >> i already got a job. >> good, mother [bleep] get to it, 'cause i'm tired of seeing your [bleep] damn face out here not knowing a [bleep] damn thing. >> keep talking. >> get the [bleep] off my [bleep] damn floor, mother [bleep] all you want to do is stand around like you [bleep] big [bleep] get the [bleep] out of here. get the [bleep] out of here, mother [bleep] >> i'll go help out on the ground, then. >> yeah, you get the [bleep] out of my face. i ain't these guys. i will mop your [bleep] ass at work. >> you know, these guys get a little bit pissed off 'cause i don't know everything yet. let 'em get pissed, you know? >> my frustration with cheston's been building up since he's been out here. like, one week i think he's doing good, but then he run his little mouth. i mean, he -- i mean, i just blew up on him, so, i mean, i hope he took offense to it, every bit of it.

>> cheston's been out here. this is his third rig move, and he knows less today than he did the first day he got here, so, i mean, i can understand pee wee getting mad. anybody would get mad. i mean, the boy is not a roughneck. he is not a roughneck. he wants to be a roughneck, but he is not a roughneck. >> this is a drilling rig. this ain't a [bleep] damn soap opera, and that's what the [bleep] it's turning into -- a [bleep] damn soap opera. "as the rotary turns." >> narrator: pee wee is throwing cheston off the rig, but it's up to the bosses to decide whether to fire him from big dog. >> i can't run him off, so whatever. i don't -- he'd be a gone son of a bitch, though, if it was up to me today. >> narrator: big dog drilling supervisor david kiser calls them behind the office to settle a feud. >> i don't know why they make a big deal about it. i want to run him off [bleep] it's my crew. i should be able to run him off. >> chill out.

>> dude, you don't have to do this [bleep] >> pee wee, i'd [bleep] chill out. >> i take it it's very frustrating to these guys at times when i don't know everything, 'cause at times, i don't know the assembly line or 1 through 30. sir? this is third -- third well. >> he's a lazy mother [bleep] so, he told him to hurry up. >> here's the deal. >> i'll listen to one story, and then i'll listen to the other. pee wee, i'm listening to yours. >> here's the deal -- out of respect -- like, i come out here, i'm showing these guys respect. i want it back. >> i ain't got no respect for you, mother [bleep] >> you ain't have to, man. here's the deal -- >> no, you shut your [bleep] mouth, or i will kick your ass in front of everybody. >> what the [bleep] we get in a fight, we're thrown -- that's our job right there. >> y'all go out there in the cotton patch, but listen to me. this [bleep] stops. pee wee, you know. if y'all two can't get along, i need to know now so we can do something about it. >> yeah, we need to do something about it.

let's go to work [bleep] >> the biggest problem is that little short [bleep] driller we got. >> them two there i got to break up. i got to split them up somehow. >> narrator: if they can't work together, they both may go. coming up... >> you will be sweating like crazy. >> narrator: ...gerald ain't loving life outside the oil field... >> you're standing there with your mask down.ing there with >> narrator: ...and the boss lays down the law. >> y'all all know that last well took three days too long. we're gonna have to get those took three days too long. we're gonna have to get those days back.

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over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made for fun™. >> narrator: it's rig-move day on big dog 28. worm cheston's been kicked off the rig floor by driller pee wee for running his mouth. >> pee wee and i had a confrontation behind the pusher's trailer. it's kind of what i expected. you know, he throws his little fits and tantrums, and he wants to get his way. i'm not out here to lose my job. i'm out here to respect my job and to try to get along with everybody. you can't get along with everybody. it's just what it is.

>> narrator: now the worm's working in the yard with the rig's other misfit, tank, who's also at odds with his driller. >> i heard you don't get along with pee wee, man. >> hell no. it's not just pee wee. it's all of them dumb [bleep] they're stupid. >> i'd give my left nut to be on daylights. maybe we could check it out. yeah, yeah. >> i tried to switch and get on oscar's crew a while back. you know, tank brought up switching shifts. i thought it was the greatest idea in the world. >> this could work, man. i mean, i would give anything to be on daylights, man. >> really? >> yeah, dude. >> you want to get up at 3:45 in the morning? >> i don't give a [bleep] man. >> so, have it. >> i want to get away from ron. maybe it'll happen, you know? maybe the good lord's looking out for me. because i really wanted daylights when i first came out here. anybody does. i want the a-team, man. i want the a-list. that's how i roll.

>> narrator: drilling supervisor david kiser okays the swap, but he's leaving the final decision to pee wee. >> can we swap -- do you want to swap -- do you want to swap -- >> the worm for tank? >> [ laughs ] >> i mean, i guess so. [bleep] i have no choice. i got to put up with one of them. >> can you handle it, pee wee? okay. >> we traded. pee wee can't put up with him anymore because the boy's just too stupid. that's all there are to it. he's too stupid. so, we took tank, which is damn near as stupid but not quite as stupid. we put tank on days and gonna put cheston on evening. >> yes! [bleep] mnh! sayonara, ron. >> narrator: tank and cheston

got the shifts they wanted, but the celebration will be short-lived. >> trading tank for cheston. i mean, it's the same difference. you're fighting a losing battle right there. i'll be honest with you, i'd as soon get rid of both of them. >> narrator: now they each have to prove their worth to a new driller, and they're starting from scratch. by 3:00 p.m., the rig's on the move and leaving the well from hell in the west texas dust. after twist-offs, injuries, and delays, there's one thing every roughneck agrees on. >> [bleep] this [bleep] hole. piss on the son of a bitch. i'm done. this bitch is done with. >> i don't care what they do out there. they can go out there and take a dump on it. i don't care. it's been nothing but a pain in the ass for all of us. >> [bleep] you, well from hell. i'm out of this [bleep] >> [bleep] this [bleep] well from hell.

>> narrator: at the new location, the derrick goes up, and the $60,000 drill bit goes down. big dog 28's finally starting their fourth and final well. to save their jobs, they've got to hit total depth before the lease runs out in 12 days. the well from hell took twice as long. autry stephens' right-hand man, walter smith, is on site to remind everyone what's at stake. >> y'all all know that last well took too long. had the fishing job and the trip, the whole nine yards. we're gonna have to get those days back some way or other. this well -- we've got to get her knocked out in about 12 days, we'll meet our deadline. and it's real important that we meet that deadline. just do your job right the first time, and don't have to do it over again.

>> he told us that he wants this well to be better. he didn't want all that bull [bleep] we had on the last well. >> all right, get to work. >> you got it, boss. >> narrator: in midland, veteran roughneck gerald's sobered up since being fired from big dog. now he's plotting his return to the oil fields, but with a wedding only a week away, his fiancée has other plans. >> this is it. >> narrator: rosie's hired him at her job, stripping airplanes. >> it's gonna stink like crazy. >> yeah, i think i can pretty well already smell it. well, they run my ass off a rig 'cause i was two hours late for work, and they didn't want me out there anyway, so they used that as an excuse to run my ass off, and i've come out here to work with rosie and her crew, and we're gonna strip a couple of airplanes, and, hell, i'm game for anything -- you know me. i'll try anything once --

usually twice, just to make sure i was right the first time. >> but basically, the main thing that you have to keep in mind is that this stuff will burn you in a heartbeat. just -- don't! first thing you don't do -- do not touch it with your bare hands, okay? don't. don't think you're a macho man, because you're not. this is chris. chris, this is gerald. >> narrator: 30 years of roughnecking's worthless in the hangar. here gerald's just another worm. >> basically, you treat him -- i mean, he's off the street. he's just like anybody walking off the street, first day, first hour, whatever. and he doesn't do what you ask him to do, you tell him to get the hell out of the way. i'll show you on the controls first of all, and then we'll get to the bottom of the plane. and you will be sweating like crazy. >> hell, i'm already sweating like crazy. >> there is no smoking out here. it's time to gear up -- the rainsuit, air mask, shield, and gloves.

[ machinery grinds ] hey, you're standing there with your mask down. >> narrator: after only an hour on the job, gerald's desperate to get back to the oil field. >> oh, i'd rather be on the drilling rig than doing this any day. get the hell out of here -- that's my objective. >> narrator: coming up... >> we're going a little faster and a little harder. >> narrator: ...cheston's first night shift may be his last. >> he's gonna [bleep] contribute or he might not have a [bleep] job. >> narrator: and later, the rig's smoking, and freddy's on fire. >> get them other two to get some [bleep] damn oil in there.

some [bleep] damn oil in there. shut it down! tell us about the goal-line stand. well, i owe my great hair to head & shoulders. it's for more than just dandruff. that's not what i asked, troy. isn't it?

>> narrator: driller pee wee and the day crew is headed to the rig for their first shift on the final hole... >> it's the day after rig move. we're headed out to the rig.

just eight hours a day, so we'll be all right. >> narrator: ...and their first day with new hand tank. >> we got rid of cheston yesterday. we're bringing out tank today. got to be a better hand than cheston was. >> he should get a job as a greeter at a supermarket. [ laughter ] >> narrator: two hands have already been thrown off the day crew, so tank needs to step up, or he'll be the third. >> ha ha. >> yeah! >> i really don't know how much experience tank has. he finds something to do, he stays pretty busy, and that's pretty much all you can ask for right now in a hand. >> narrator: even though rig 28's drilling, the day crew is still putting it back together.

>> we're almost done. together. looking good. >> narrator: and the only thing left is the blowout preventer, or b.o.p. >> this is the top part of the b.o.p. if this wasn't to work right, if it was to malfunction, all the gas and everything, all the pressure would be blowing up on the floor. it would blow rocks towards us. it wouldn't be a good deal at all. >> narrator: the b.o.p. cap weighs 1,000 pounds, and it's usually moved with a forklift, but there's no forklift on site, so the crew calls in a tank. >> can't beat me. in a tank. where there's a will, there's a way. >> oh, yeah, right. >> that's not working very well. >> i think if we get it around this bend, we'll [bleep] be all right. >> [ grunting ] >> ready? one, two, three. come on. [bleep] come on. go. go. [bleep]

yeah! [bleep] yeah! mnh! pssh! >> that's for you. >> yeah. the way we got it over there was just good, old-fashioned pop right here, and there it is right there. we got it. teamwork and tank -- boom! mnh! >> trading cheston for tank -- so far, that's been a damn good deal. i mean, tank's a good guy, funny guy, good worker. good trade. good deal for me. >> you don't need a forklift when you got the tank. >> narrator: with tank's help, the well cap's installed and the rig's together. now it's a sprint to the finish with jobs on the line. at 2:00 p.m., it's shift-change time, and driller ron's night crew is taking over big dog 28. it's do or die for the roughnecks but most of all for cheston. >> i traded old tank for

cheston. he was the worm on daylights. everybody says he's kind of mouthy or something like that, and i'm not gonna put up with his mouth. if he wants to learn, i'll teach him. if not, he can [bleep] himself. >> if cheston decides to get attitude on my crew when he's working with me, i mean, yeah, i'm gonna [bleep] get on his ass and let him know what's up. it's a [bleep] rig, and he's gonna [bleep] contribute to the [bleep] work, or he might not have a [bleep] job. 'cause if he can't get along with us -- he damn sure didn't get along with them -- they're gonna have to find somewhere for his ass, and i don't think it'll be on any other crew. >> son, you need to fix your tongs, man. you got them son of a bitches swung plumb the [bleep] around. fix your tongs. i just told you.

don't. hey! hey! hey! hey! swing 'em around. how the [bleep] y'all got 'em? >> first day here has been lovely, actually. and if ronald does bark at me, i just say, "yes, sir," and keep going. he shows me respect, and i give him the same back.t, and i give all these guys do. it's a much better work environment. >> get off that mother [bleep] >> we'll just see how it works out, you know? i don't know what lies ahead. >> where cheston at? >> narrator: but cheston's got more to worry about than just driller ron. toolpusher freddy's got his own roughneck welcome for the worm. >> chestnuts, get them buckets out of there that they're done. get them buckets out of there. a lot of [bleep] to do today, short time to do it in.

>> what now, freddy? >> take that with you when you go. >> which? which one? >> that one right there. >> this? >> yeah. you can't teach stupid. my daddy told me a long time ago, "if you're stupid today, son, you're gonna be stupid tomorrow." and that ain't no [bleep] get them gloves over by that derrick leg. you said you know where they was all at. >> freddy, let me work and stop telling me. >> the other one. get the other one. there you go, son. where'd cheston go? where did he [bleep] go now? chestnuts. get all these trip hazards out of this [bleep] >> working on it. >> we're going a little faster and a little harder. >> oh, god. >> man, it sucks being somebody else's trash picker-upper, huh? ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♪

♪ merry christmas to you ♪ [ machinery screeching ] >> narrator: while freddy's been serenading the worm, he's been neglecting the rig, and the transmission's burning up. >> pick this mother [bleep] up. shut it down! >> narrator: coming up, big dog 28 could be shut down for good. >> you burn these [bleep] up, 28 could be shut down for good. >> you burn these [bleep] up, you ain't gonna have a job.

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[bleep] give me a chance to check everything. >> ronald tells me, "well, i just got here." well [bleep] yeah, you just got here an hour ago. he's got a five-man crew out there. why can't one of them be checking that [bleep]? >> narrator: the gears are burning, and the roughnecks' jobs are going up in smoke. >> you burn these [bleep] up, you ain't gonna have a job. none of us are. they need to [bleep] quit walking around with each other and holding hands and check the [bleep] out here. that's what's gonna get our jobs out here. that one pump in there oils everything on the drawworks. that other pump on the outside of the compound -- it oils everything in the compound. you know? [bleep] it don't take a rocket scientist to do this [bleep] man. you guys got to hit that [bleep] damn big hole right there instead of all over every [bleep] thing. >> still ain't oiling. >> is it oiling or not?

>> it's not oiling. >> well, we got to find out why it's not oiling. take that [bleep] off right there. see where it's clogged up at. >> narrator: adding oil's not solving the problem, so the rig's coming apart just as fast as it was put together. >> look down in there and see if the chain's on the oiler. take that other cover off there, kody. oiler chain's off. >> what's chain's off? >> it's busted loose. >> it's got two little ears right here. that's where it's busted loose at. >> we'll see if i can get a welder out here. they can't [bleep] take care of this [bleep] and check it -- [bleep] damn motorman needs to check this [bleep] damn [bleep] driller needs to check it. [bleep] if i got to do all the [bleep] checking out here, i don't need them mother [bleep] out here. >> narrator: the pump that oils the transmission's busted loose, forcing freddy to shut down the rig and call a welder. >> hey, leon.

need a welder. they burn [bleep] up, and then i got to [bleep] answer to the [bleep] main man while [bleep] gets tore up out this mother [bleep] and it ain't very [bleep] damn pleasant. >> narrator: they've only got 11 days left to finish the final well, and it's not looking good. but in midland, it's even worse for out-of-work roughneck gerald. since he was fired from big dog, he's been stuck on a hangar floor stripping airplanes. it's only been two days, and he's already filled with regret. >> well, go take a 15-minute break, drink some water. >> everybody might think this is easy, and labor-wise, it's not physically demanding, but that chemical's a real bad son of a bitch, and even with all that safety equipment and stuff on, i can feel it burning around the edges of my face and stuff like that.

and, yeah, this is not something that i'd want to do every day for the rest of my life. you can bet your ass on that. >> narrator: after his firing, the hardened roughneck is finally softening up and learning to bite his tongue. his wedding may depend on it. >> oh. ding, ding! there are churches in this world to get married in. >> and, you know, you're adamant about not getting married in a barn. i'm adamant about not getting married in a church. >> why not? >> well, we're not going into that. for lack of a better answer, because i said. >> why not? >> why? >> why not? >> why? >> why not? so, in other words, if i were to say, "i want to get married in a church," you'd say, "okay, we're not gonna get married"? honestly? seriously?

>> i wouldn't say, "i wouldn't." i'd say, "i'd rather not." well, you know, we're trying to make the wedding plans, and you get religious views and things involved, and i try not to infringe my views on anyone, and i try not to look at anybody else's views. you know, regardless of your religious views, your political views, i love you for who you are, and i hope that never influences our relationship in any form or fashion. >> narrator: coming up... >> tell them to get around there and check every [bleep] motor on this rig. >> narrator: ...hurricane freddy descends on the rig. >> i'm gonna give them something to [bleep] remember today. >> i'm gonna give them something

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>> narrator: on big dog 28, drilling's at a standstill after driller ron and the night crew almost burned up the rig. >> if they don't want to [bleep] do their jobs out here, them drillers don't want to make sure, i don't need the drillers, and i [bleep] damn sure don't need the hands. >> narrator: now they're waiting for a welder to repair the transmission, and the clock's ticking on the roughnecks' jobs. there's only 11 days left to finish the last well, and freddy doesn't want any more problems, so he's ordering the night crew to inspect every inch of the drill site. >> i'm gonna give them something to [bleep] remember today.

i'm just gonna give them a list. they better get [bleep] done. tell them to get around there and check every [bleep] motor on this rig. all that [bleep] damn rope laying out there off the edge of location and thread protectors. get that drilling line off the [bleep] ground. they're gonna have to pick their [bleep] feet up. >> let's get the mud bucket. get it up on the floor. put it right where it goes. find the cover for that mother [bleep] i about fell in it. should be a cover somewhere. these right here -- get them off the floor. >> [ grunting ] >> two of them? >> one. >> narrator: after an exhausting shift, freddy's got one last surprise for the night crew... >> who you calling, freddy? >> freddy wants you.

>> oh [bleep] >> [bleep] freddy [bleep] want? what's up, boss? >> ice-cold watermelon. >> looks good, man. >> cool yourself off for a little bit. figured i'd cut some of it up and bring it out here, we all could have some of it. >> you're a cool mother [bleep] freddy. you're a cool mother. [ laughs ] i thought it was something bad he wanted. >> i can be a good guy if i want to be. >> so can i. >> [ laughs ] >> it's [bleep] good, man. >> hell yeah. [ laughter ] >> go give one to cheston. [ laughs ] >> what did you do to it? >> i didn't do nothing to it. >> narrator: and for the worm, a peace offering and welcome to his new crew. >> you like watermelon? >> yeah. thank you, sir.

i'm actually looking forward to working on evening tower. you know, it's more my style. they work more as a team. they don't try to put you down all the time, make you look stupid, or leave you without knowing what the heck's going on. >> go ahead. >> did he do [bleep] to it? i think i'll get along with this crew just fine. i'm not worried about it at all, really. >> is that good? >> hell yeah, it's good. >> okay. [ laughter ] >> narrator: next time on "black gold"... [ crash ] >> [bleep] damn! [ crash ] [bleep] damn! >> narrator: ...the oil field claims another victim... >> we've had an accident out here. >> narrator: ...the roughneck lifestyle takes a toll on tank... >> i just need to get my life together. i'm trying. i keep trying, but -- ah, man, this hurts. >> narrator: ...and big dog 28's survival comes down to the wire. >> we're down two hands, and we