Hello all,
This may seem like an odd post, however for some time I have been conducting research for a screenplay set in the Permian Basin in Texas in 1992, coinciding with the Kuwait oil fires. As I got into the details of the film, I realised I know far less than I thought about the technicalities of oil drilling in the desert and thought I'd go straight to the source to get my information.
The input and information I am desperate for is as follows;
- I am hoping for the film to begin with a very technically accurate oil rig explosion/fire, and any insight into the way this might unfold in real time (as well as the human reactions) would be invaluable.
- Anybody who has experienced a rig explosion/fire first hand and may be able to offer insight into the emotional reaction to such an extreme situation.
- Anyone who has experience with extinguishing oil fires, as well as guidance as to what processes may have been used in Texas in the 1990s to deal with an oil fire.
- Anyone who has experienced an unfortunate loss of life whilst working on an oil rig, and the implications this may have had both emotionally and operationally.
- Any commentary on the stereotype of oil rigs and roughnecks generating a hyper-masculine environment.
- Long shot, but anyone who was present during the Kuwait oil fires (in any capacity; roughneck, engineer or bureaucrat)
- Any interesting photos, articles or other information concerning the oil industry in Texas in the early 1990s.
If you have any of this information, or just have some cool stories to tell that will help inform my screenplay I would be extremely grateful to hear from you. How did you end up in the industry?
I was sent here after posting the same thing on the OilandGasWorkers Reddit page, and was told I might find some very knowledgeable people.
Contact me at: tomasbabicki@hotmail.com NOTE: I am on UK time so my responses may take some time.
Tom, you've come to the right place. I worked for Boots and Coots, Inc. in the 1990's and have been on numerous fires and blowouts around the world. I had cancer in 1991 and did not get to go to Kuwait, but the men I know, who are my friends, did. I listened to Boots and Coots and Red Adair talk about how the fires were staged in the movie, Hellfighters. So, we can make a big fire happen and we can then control it.
If you were to have the time to go back through old posts on OilyStuffBlog you would find a wealth of old photos, personal stories, including the loss of lives, a good bit of stuff on Kuwait and even lots of old videos that I used in giving the presentation, The History of Oil Well Firefighting and Blowout Control.
Hopefully others will chime in with more experience than me. If you need some help holler back and I will give you my personal contact information.