Exactly how dangerous is it to work in an oil field? What Landman shows and the real death rate in Texas

Taylor Sheridan Landman shows the oil fields as an exceptionally dangerous place to work, but how deadly are Texas oil drilling sites in real life, and did the show exaggerate for dramatic effect? Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and the rest of the cast of Landman as they navigate the various crises and tragedies facing the oil industry. Landman It’s also inspired by a true story, so its deep dive into the lives of bullies (oil workers) is extremely accurate. However, one area seems a little too tragic to be true: the dangers of exploring an oil field.

At the end of Landman episode 2, the show had already killed three bullies in one big explosion. Something as simple as turning a valve caused the explosion, and it seemed like any bully could die at any moment. Tommy explained, however, that the brutes make enormous amounts of money to compensate for these dangers, and LandmanThe salary of the country’s oil workers is not far from the real value. Although the salary is almost always accurate, Landman did not answer whether the dangers themselves reflect real life or are exaggerated for dramatic purposes.

Landman needs to show the dangers of working in an oil field

Dangers in the oil field create suspense and excitement and give Tommy Norris something to do

Landmanby definition, it deals primarily with the dangers of working in an oil field. Tommy’s job as a landowner is based on resolving crises like deaths and injuries, so of course Landman would show him how to deal with such incidents. But more than that, death and injuries create drama and suspense for Landmanand makes television much more interesting than a safe and properly functioning oil derrick. Unfortunately, Landman It’s also not far from the real-life dangers rioters face on a daily basis.

Deaths in the Texas (and rest of the US) oil fields

Texas leads the US in oilfield deaths, but also in oil production

As devastating as the deaths in Landman were, they are based on reality. In the five years between 2014 and 2019, Texas oilfields recorded 219 deaths, compared to the second-deadliest state for brutes, Oklahoma, which had just 48 in the same period. (through Journal of Petroleum Technology). Landmanhowever, it has not yet included the most common cause of death for Texas brutes: being run over by objects or vehicles.

“Across Texas, the leading factors in death are similar: 54 people died after being struck by an object in the area, and 53 people died in vehicle accidents.”

There is a caveat to this statistic, however. Texas — and particularly the Permian Basin, where the show takes place, but not where Landman was filmed – produces more oil in the entire country. JPT noted “THE [Permian Basin] produces about 40% of the country’s oil supply and, according to the new study, has had just 30% of industry-related deaths.” With so much drilling going on, there are more brutes in Texas and more chances of injury or death. Proportionally, there should be more deaths in West Texas than in places like Oklahoma, which accounts for 10% of oil deaths but only 3% of oil production..

Oil-related injury statistics tell a similar story to death statistics. The oil and gas industry was responsible for 2,101 of the injuries reported to OSHA from 2015 through July 2022 (via CDC). This includes 417 amputations and 1,194 hospitalizations. In short, being a bully is an incredibly dangerous job, and Landmanthe incidents so far have been very realistic. There have also been major advances toward security in recent years, such as increased automation, but for now, Landman is an unfortunately accurate description of working on an oil rig.