Black gold: A study in oil

Document deep south

Los fields of cotton some

forests and factories in the heart of Dixie.

A revealing story of progress pioneering spirit documented with

on the spot recordings and produced by the radio broadcasting services extension

division. University of Alabama. For the next 30 minutes

he will make a transcribed trip through the Deep South. You will see the significance of

a new industrial south a changing South.

You will see how determined people are nature's plug into prosperity a

move that more than ever is making itself felt in our nation's economy.

Black. A study in oil.

You're an average American. You own a car or drive one as a consequence

have cause to use oil and gas in Alabama there's another average

American who owns and operates an automobile. He too is concerned with the value

of oil and gas but his concern is borne of a deeper understanding or

deeper knowledge of petroleum and its production. You have the pleasure of meeting

him.

Well to be Joe on stage just evolved and state oil and gas

are much interested in petroleum you

know the petroleum industry is not yet 100 years old

oil was first discovered and well at Titusville

Pennsylvania in 1859 and yet in less than

a hundred yes it has grown to a point where we

absolutely depended on it. Now the. Picture

in the south. Is of deep interest to all of us.

We produce about one seventh of the total

of the US. A good many of us States are just beginning production.

A good many of our states are just beginning production lesson

number one. You learned at the South the same south that in recent years

has soared to unbelievable heights in the petroleum industry. Today stands on the

threshold of an even more fabulous future. You learn that there are more than

32000 producing wells in eight of the Deep South states in

Alabama in Arkansas and Florida Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi

Tennessee and Virginia. You learn also that in 1951

four thousand four hundred thirty nine new wells were drilled

pursuit of a promise. But sometimes that

promise isn't fulfilled and the attempt ends with disappointment in a dry

hole. Now the 1951 ventures nearly 2000

nearly one half of the attempts made it ended in this disappointment.

But how about the 2000 wells and more that came through that this day are adding to the

annual production of more than three hundred and 11 million barrels of crude oil from down Dixie

way. How about a promise that is kept alive by a productive past.

You'd like to know more about petroleum about its men and its methods how it's produced how

it's processed what it means.

So you decide to take a trip so that up on the plea is we have a

long trip coming up your where Dr Jones you're in his car as you pull out

of the service station and head southward. It depends on where you are what route you

take. But the destination is the same. If you brush the Ozarks then you're likely to

pass an oil field in Arkansas. If you come to Kentucky you can't miss it.

But let's say that you followed the Atlantic coast as you are now swinging inland and down into the Gilbert

town area of Alabama.

You can even hear pumping Jacks pumping black gold from beneath Alabama earth.

You drive on with it past cotton fields that have come to live past progress in the

making. You swing along the Gulf Coast past marshlands past ocean

playgrounds past shrimp fleets and hopeful fisherman.

And then at length you enter the Neckar of Mardi Gras.

Your old busy body its rich Raymonds and revelry of the

French Quarter and find. It ran

great.

And yet within the city of serious

business at hand and in building modern and new

work plotting new courses for constructing a final future

inside a tall shapely young lady operates the elevator. You step out of the fourth

floor and follow Dr. Jones down the corridor. You are should into a nice room a

comfortable office. Dr Jones explains your visit.

Leading state and production of oil and gas

and leave town and here to southern Louisiana.

To see why this is so. We have

time to go out just because we believe that. As division

geologist you will know the story and we have come

here to find it out.

Now what about this thing that a geologist on the

office wall there is a map of southern Louisiana

showing all of the all the gas field and yes Richo are probably

you look at the world map now laced with slanting lattice like shadows.

The pattern of morning sun pouring through a Venetian blind from across the room.

You see the colors red green yellow representative of various points

of interest to want to man. The green for instance represents accumulations

of oil the red gas you are told. And you

remember the story about the first oil well in Louisiana that day in September

1991 when but Moto driller W. Scott Haywood stood in that rice

paddy near Jennings Louisiana wondering if a hunch and a hope would pay

off. He drilled a thousand feet without success and obligated

to drill another thousand foot Well I got permission to go deeper on that

day at seventeen hundred feet. The bit struck oil sands the well was bailed

out twice the second time a four inch column of oiled sawed over the

derrick. This showed the way showed that it could

be done. That it was there to be had before

you're on this huge wall map you're seeing up to the minute picture of today's all and gas

operation in Louisiana. You see the clusters of pins representing drilling

operations covering the southern half of the state and stretching far out into the Gulf of

Mexico. Why should Louisiana like its neighbor Texas be

rich in our reserves.

Well to some degree the answer is graphically shown in yellow the yellow color

indicate location.

Although you ask about salt domes and you find that as

the name implies they are lifts and the Earth's surface hill like protrusion of

salt pushing the earth upward in a rounded hump. Around these you find oil is

usually found in quantity but how is oil actually discovered.

The district geologist the man now seated across the polished desk tells you that it's a

joint effort of the geologist and the geophysicist. The geologist.

Well he might go about his work in one of three ways. The surface geologist

the man who walks over the area looking for odd crops or surface indications of

oil. Then there is the core drill geologist the man who drilled

samplings sometimes as deep as fifteen hundred feet looking for underground

indications. And finally the photo geologist the

man who studies aerial photographs of the area searching for unusual drainage patterns

and overall surface indications during the interview. Another man has come

into the office.

Dr Jones turns to him and I would visit you. This is due

your division Your Business. What sort of

work you doing in this area.

Well it is just this is what we primarily look for is the

structures that the geologists were referring to where they

are will accumulate.

You have to have these structures by the accumulation of the geophysicist is an

important man in the search for a black girl and to aid him there are a

number of instruments the magnetometer the gravity meter. You don't understand

really but you listen carefully anyway. After all in the past 50 years

Petroleum has played an important role in the changing South. Right now the

geophysicists is telling you when Dr. Jones the most reliable method to seek out hidden

reservoirs of oil is with an instrument called the seismograph.

We consider the seismograph most reliable and you can see from the

map there are blue pins all that well blue Pande

going dad what those hands.

How are those blue gander seismic crews here in southern Louisiana and what are the

range ones scattered all over the map from one side to the other they aren't

ones are the gravity crews or the peons.

Sadly Chris about 80 in southern Louisiana at this

time an active very average figure for the air and the severity of

crew made around 20 pretty good things.

Oh what do you do.

Well what's involved in the equipment that is needed just how do you

go about setting up for reading where the seismic crew

well I'll just give an example of course it varies a lot with the equipment

used to do the type of country and the terrain

marsh or the swapper the lands there where you can have automotive

equipment or in the marsh you used your swamp buggies or marsh

buggies helicopters and various other means but generally

what you do you. You bore holes with a smaller trail

you drill your holes into the earth from varying death from 50 to

several hundred feet and you place a charge of dynamite.

Of course these are our understanding in a certain distance apart and

surveyed in by your engineer civil engineer and you have your

sensitive estimate set out on the ground when you stow charge of dynamite why

it creates a small earthquake really and the seismic waves build out into the

earth and on some particular Strattera buried in the earth they

reflect back up this back yes it is a miracle.

You listen and you learn and you learn the principle of seismographs methods of

exploring for oil. First the explosion.

Shock waves travel. They ricochet on underground formations and bounce back to

the surface.

These waves are impulses as a seismo crew would call them are recorded on very

sensitive machines or seismographs and interpreter can take these readings

translate them into feet and create a geologic map of the area.

We like to think that the seismograph. Something

like this.

Dr. Jones if you want to. You came down here to go fishing and

you want to know where the best place to fish.

We would say well if you're going to the best place but still

it's always nice to contemplate.

We would probably say five places here good but I would

go here to Boggy Creek under the bridge to catch fish.

That's the way we feel about the size.

Ingenuity has invaded the deep sea men and machines tread a new path of

progress and science for the brightest sunrise for Dixie.

You see this as these men of oil talk of their jobs tell you and Dr Jones

what they do when the never ending search for black gold.

Yes this is the land section Mr. Jones. The

primary function of the land section is a purchase of all

places an orgasm Oh it gives the

company the right to enter up on the land and explore for oil and

for him to Dr. Jones.

The work of the geologist physicist and the land man is now

complete. The location is ready for drilling and we're now

ready to pass it on to the production department who will drill.

I walk it well in the morning

mist hovers over the bike blanketing a grotesque Cypress with a veil of

damp. And dimly outlining the gray Spanish moss that drapes an

eerie splendor on a cross bridges spanning winding

waterway alongside swamp shacks and shrimp boats and sugarcane

fields.

Get out early this morning. See a billion dollar industry.

Going to twisting by road with an oil field. You see Derrickson

drilling rigs more frequently. Sometimes jutting out of a clump of trees all the

time squatting.

And then you see why. See the oil boom I don't

feel rising out of the fog.

That one of the few that read it looks like.

So don't get scared he'd say find yourself in an open

prairie saw grass and swamp water. On the horizon you see Derek's.

Half dozen of.

Your road. He brought it in dusty twist on what. Had links

you come within several hundred yards of an oil derrick.

You have reached your destination.

So this is a raid. It looked like that. Place.

Stopped as I. Caught a boat yesterday does it caught a boat

out in a isolated marsh country we. Thank. Them was

last week. Complete a week. Before they go back out to their homes.

Or so. Take all the Mayos sleepier during that time.

And how long do they stay all after that week. Like how many.

Days before they come back in. They work five days and then two days.

And. You run 24 hours.

It doesn't make works around the talks and I'm in live right on this lot of that on the quarter

boat.

We have three eight hour shifts each.

From where you stand some distance from the derrick itself you can see the men moving

about their Suba Hellmann's glistening in the sun. Later you will talk

with these men. You will ask them how they feel about their job their family their

future about the South and its place in the nation about their place in the

south. They won't talk much and they'll find the first question

easier to put into words. Were they close to their job. They like it

because it's the one thing they know best because it's a living. And when you

ask them about living and working in the desolate marsh country they hands it will be very simple

makes it easier to concentrate on the job. Makes one better appreciate the off duty days.

Besides the strenuous routine leaves little time for loneliness. And

there's always the pride of achievement. The feeling of success when a whale comes in.

And then there's the suspense. The hope the calm expect that mounts higher and

higher as the drill bores deeper and deeper. But most rough

mixes these men are called narrow their concern to the confines of their own

Vajra meant seemingly unaware that their success means a fortune

and a future for the south of the nation.

Now that big steel out in front of.

The line it has a derrick on it. Is that normal situation for

this. I think.

It is from the marsh country. That is a barge that carries all organic

machinery. A lot plans to fire up right drag the

dark horse in the pipe out of the hole.

Well. They're not Grayling that at the moment

racking pipe. In the rig. What's that.

Pulling the bell pipe out of the hole to. Put on a new bed to bed at alland I was.

When I went to this well stocked this towel I started 37 days ago and how deep is

12000 feet two miles what's it done with the.

Clavicle ranges. That

sadly at what depth do you think you're going we expect to go in depth approximate

16000 feet. Let it be deep enough for anything.

That's the assistant division superintendent talking telling you and Dr Jones

how black gold is brought forth from the desolate marshlands of Louisiana.

You discover that the delicate self towering A hundred and thirty six feet in the areas located

on a movable barge at the steel barge is anchored into place by pumping water into its

compartments and sinking it. It's customary to get to these locations about boats you

find at the twisting road you came over was an unusual luxury not common

place in Cajun country.

You follow Dr. Jones across the narrow pier like Plank way too are they all well.

The roar of the the constant wind is deafening. You walk near a watchful of your

footing. You strain upward you see a mammoth pulley moving up the

center of the derrick drawing after it a seemingly Sandy straw like section of.

I get told that it's brought out of the hones reattached joint

each joint measuring 30 feet in length at the top of the darker one and in the silver helmet

pushes a 90 foot long sections of pipe into a room where they are right. It's

long hard dangerous work and it's a gamble. A

multimillion dollar again someday this project financed.

They know how and efficiency more than likely pay off

at least that's the hope.

The old man's prayer feeling

is rolling along strangled ground by a lot of them

already had a great deal stacked. Flat in their way.

You know something.

Oh then.

And now. Maybe he can tell us something about it. What is your

job here in the ring. What are they doing.

We are changing the old one is

alone is it. You have one on.

Yeah that is correct. Which involves running our home.

I'm out of steel stacked up in this hole must be put in BBR only

brought me home and then the long operation.

Yes it is but I'll be happy to do that when the

present be at we are running we have approximately every

16 to 20 hour.

Painting on a harness formation is not a matter of getting in and

making a hole all the time. You got a whole lot of other way to go.

The drill like you must be the boss. Yes I am this

particular talent talent but what does that mean.

We want to call him and all the time to work.

We call them talent and we were able hammy to me and you have to help him.

I am a man but what do they have what do they do.

We have one man and a Mechanic Man which we

employ the man would know the duty such as handing changing

beds and whatnot.

Later you meet one of these men to face to face. He's young

he's strong he's modest.

What's your job here on the road.

Rough rough next round.

Good to see that you're coming out of the hole now with the

long sections of steel pipe. How long can that take in a moment.

This line that's become completely out how long to take it slowly

like that. And then when you

get the drill bit on that whole thing it's got to be done in rebuttal and go

down the bottom again. And that's why you could very easily spend

one towel just banging a pipe out of the hole is that this

step and get it back in again

and resting. Thank you very much.

You follow the men into the corner book. Inside you find a 4 table mess hall and a

feast for a king. These roughnecks have rough work and as a consequence

they eat hearty. But it takes brains as well as brawn to bring in a well.

For instance this young man yes or production

geologist in this district.

My job is. In conjunction with our division.

Decider jelling programs on. The wells in my district. Which is

sad day to tell them where to log the wells ideas

write electrical surveys where to core the wells and.

Things of that manner. No it isn't and haphazard job

even though it is a gamble. And even after the job is completed a watchful eye

is kept on this valuable naturist sauce. You meet the man who keeps this watch

a petroleum engineer.

Yes I'm the petroleum engineer. My duties just primarily.

Of. Assisting in the drilling and completion. And producing of all

wells. And the study of the reservoir from which the oil is withdrawn.

To determine the rates to produce these whales in

order to obtain the maximum amount of all from these ratable is

without waste.

Well you visited an oil well in southern Louisiana and the nation's fourth

highest produced petroleum. You could say this well is typical

it is of marshland drilling and someday someday soon

it will probably join its neighboring rigs and servicing the South's rich supply of black

gold. Right now the biggest Oh but the

future never looks so bright.

One look at the national picture we'll show you why we had rusted and

oil in the Deep South. We produced in the deep south one

seventh of the total U.S. production and

the 1951 cost Texas produced by one half

of the U.S. total. Louisiana produces about three fourths of the

total for the Deep South and is by far the

most important producer at present in the Deep South. But

all has just been discovered and Savile of the state and

we have a feeling that petroleum in the south is definitely

on the upswing the picture very bright there is increasing every

day and we have a feeling that the best

is yet to come.

Once more you travel over the twisting deep broad road once more you

pass a salt dome and allow Derek's shrimp boats by use

once more you're heading home and wherever you go or whatever you put into a service

station and say oh I've got a long trip to meet.

You were north of the Deep South is helping to fill your tank. Or it too is making a

long trip. Toward. Prosperity.

It was. The.

This has been program eight of document Deep South a

series of actuality documentaries depicting the increasing importance of the

South and the economic development of our nation. This week

black gold a study in oil. Your narrator was Walt

Whitaker document Deep South is written and produced by Roy

BANNERMAN As Dr. Walter B Jones as a senior consultant.

Document deep solace as presented by the radio broadcasting services extension division.

University of Alabama and is made possible by a grant in.

The fund. Ronald educate. An independent agency established by the

war foundation.

And now this is Keith bars reminding you. That this

has been a radio presentation of the University of Alabama.

This is the network.