One of the most beloved ballad bands, Air Supply, returns to West Texas Sept. 15, performing at Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center. It’s been more than 40 years since their hit love songs like “Lost in Love,” “All Out Of Love,” “The One That You Love,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At […]
Law of Gravity
A while back I was down at my favorite watering hole, The Rig # 8, where I gather some of the best material for my column. That particular day a couple of old roughnecks were down at the end of the bar bragging about how smart their drillers were. They were safely snugged down behind […]
Eat IT
I first heard about Taco Divino from, well, everyone. From the moment it opened I heard rave reviews, so as soon as I was able, I went in. The venue is quaint, tucked away between a car wash and a car detailing shop off Big Spring St. in Midland, Texas. You might miss it if […]
Last Splash of the Summer: Get It
The fine folks at Huckberry—they recommend a lot of quality products for men—were keen on this wristwatch that we display here. It’s the watch that Richard Dreyfuss wore in Jaws, and it’s now available (in a remastered version) in the Nautoscaph II, a streamlined and stylish dive watch in stainless steel by watchmaker Alsta. For […]
When It Hit Him In the Face
When he died at age 100—40 years ago this year—he was the last of the Spindletop oil pioneers. Curtis G. Hamill was a driller on the 1901 discovery well that launched the Texas oil industry. As his obituary stated, Hamill was standing on a derrick platform 40 feet off the ground Jan. 10, 1901, when […]
Last Splash of the Summer: DO IT
While it may still be sultry summertime, there are refreshing getaways for those who know where to look. Reeves County this year’s hot spot of hot spots for drilling and completion activity—holds one such retreat. Balmorhea State Park, in Toyahville, is home to one of the largest (1/3 acre) manmade pools in the world. […]
Turning to the Right
In many ways, the story of drilling is the story of the drill bit. As that device has changed, so has the entire enterprise of making hole. by Bobby Weaver In today’s world the speed and efficiency of drilling oil wells has reached a level undreamed of by early day oilmen. The evolution of […]
Lighter Than Air: A History of the Helium Industry in the Permian
by Bobby Weaver The oil and gas industry produces many products ranging from fuel to plastics, but few are aware that the extraction of rare gases are an important, albeit a small, part of that activity. Perhaps the most important of those gases is helium. When the term helium is mentioned, the vision that comes […]
Oilfield Culture
Who are those people and why do they act that way? By Bobby Weaver No matter where they may roam, be it in oilfields in exotic places like the Middle East, South America, Africa, or even North Dakota, oilfield people maintain a certain persona. That persona derives from a close identification with the industry […]
Oil Patch Tales: Bait and Switch
by Bobby Weaver Some people, usually of the male gender, just plain like to fight. That is especially true of oil field hands. Now myself, I never was much of a hand at fisticuffs. For one thing I was a tad small for the activity and besides my threshold for pain was always […]
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