Black Gold

Being a roughneck is going to get a lot rougher when Big Dog's owner, Autry Stevens, decides to make a deal with the devil and lease land from the local hell raiser, Peggy Hauser. If he can avoid her wrath - and gun - Autry stands to win millions.

Peggy pays a neighborly visit to the rig and lays down the law with tool pusher Freddy Moore. Freddy and Jerry vie for a supervisor's sport, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to drive the roughnecks to hell and back to earn that promotion.

After an exhausting rig move, the roughnecks have finally started drilling-but right from the get-go, the crew of Big Dog 28 is having problems.

Nearing the bottom of their first wildcat well, the roughnecks of Rig 28 are counting on rookie driller Ben to step up and help bring it in, but tool pusher Freddy is betting Ben can't handle the out-of-control roughnecks.

Though the roughnecks of Rig 28 haven't found any oil, they're deep in something else west Texas is famous for: bad weather. Chaos reigns on the rig when the skies open to unleash torrential rains, gale-force winds, and massive bolts of lightning.

After three grueling weeks of wildcatting, the roughnecks of Rig 28 are close to the bottom of their first well on Peggy's land, and the crew is feeling the heat.

Drilling a new hole, the roughnecks are working at a breakneck pace, but they're uneasy about promised changes on the rig. There are rumors of promotions coming down from management, and none of the men are sure how the reshuffle will affect them.

With the first wildcat well a bust and the bottom of the second one rapidly approaching, the job of every roughneck on Rig 28 depends on striking oil. Out of time and low on luck, the pressure is building on the rig floor-and between the roughnecks.

After the second hole produced just enough oil to keep Autry in the black, the boys of Rig 28 are getting one more chance. Autry races to save his star rig and hoping his wildcat gamble doesn't cost the roughnecks their job.

With the lease on Peggy's land set to expire in just three days, the roughnecks of Rig 28 have their backs against the wall. They need to drill this well in time or they'll all be out of a job-and the Big Dog empire could go under.