Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Landman episode 4.Taylor Sheridan’sLandmanis a deep-dive into the lives and work of the people who make up the oil industry, and it features an extensive amount of slang, lingo, and terms used by oil workers whose meanings aren’t immediately obvious to all viewers.Landmanis based on a true story, and as such, it pays quite a bit of attention to detail while showing the reality of working in the oil industry. That meansLandman’s oil fields are as dangerous as real life, but it also means the show uses a lot of words and phrases that aren’t commonly heard by most viewers.
Landmanepisode 4 provided the deepest dive into the process of drilling an oil well, and it also provided a lot of new words and terms. From “worm” to “derrickhand” and “ginsel,“Landmanis filled with terms that don’t translate well to people in other professions. Those terms are a big part of the show, however, and an important part of understanding Cooper Norris' (Jacob Lofland) story and how he gets along with his crewmates. Knowing what all the oil workers' slang means helps makeLandmanand its thrilling plot easier to understand.
Derrick
An Oil Derrick Is The Structure Workers Use To Lay Pipe & Drill Wells
An oil derrick is the metal structure that holds the pipes and machinery used to drill into the earth and pump oil out of it. Derricks are usually assembled with a crane, and then pipes are lowered through the derrick’s structure into the ground. They’re also held up by a series of cables or “guys” tethered to the ground. Most of the work seen inLandmanhappens on or around a derrick. There are also several other pieces that go into an oil patch, like the pumps that actually get the oil out of the ground and tankers to store the oil.
Roughneck
“Roughneck” Refers To Any Worker On An Oil Drilling Or Pumping Site
“Roughneck” is a general term for anyone who works on an oil patch.In much the same way people who work at logging camps are known as lumberjacks or people who work on a ranch are known as cowboys, a roughneck is a very generalized job title. The term comes from carnival culture, but by the 1930s, it had been associated with the hard labor inherent to the oil industry and the physical effects of such work, like calloused and sunburned skin on a worker’s bare neck. Generally, lower ranking members like worms or ginsels are not considered roughnecks until they’ve moved up the ladder of respect.
Worm
The Least Experienced Member Of An Oil Drilling Crew
Simply put, a worm is the least experienced worker on an oil crew.InLandman, Cooper plays the wormin both of his crews, as he’s only been working as a roughneck for a couple of days. Worms are generally picked on by older and more experienced roughnecks, and are forced to do the dirty and physically demanding jobs no one else wants to, like clamping sections of pipe on the derrick floor.
Chainhand
Chainhands Help Worms With Work On The Oil Derrick’s Floor
A chainhand is a more specialized member of an oil crew.InLandman, Manuel (J.R. Villarreal) was the chainhand on Cooper’s crew. Manuel also worked on the floor of the rig with Cooper, but he handled the tongs used for clamping and guiding the pipes into the earth instead of getting up-close and dirty like Cooper did. Part of a chainhand’s duties are also to look out for the worm and supervise their work. The term comes from the chain roughnecks used to use to secure sections of pipe to each other, but that part of the job is more automated today.
Derrickhand
Derrickhands Stand On Top Of The Derrick & Guide Pipe To The Floor Below
A derrickhand is the roughneck who stands at the top of the oil derrick and guides pipes down through the derrick to the chainhand and worm below.InLandman, the role of derrickhand was filled by Antonio (Octavio Rodriguez), at least until he was injured and Cooper was promoted to his position. The derrickhand also helps guide the driller as they operate the crane and other machinery, since they have a bird’s eye view at the top of the derrick.
Driller
An oil crew’s driller is the boss of the operation, so it’s fitting that Boss (Mustafa Speaks) was the driller inLandman. Drillers are responsible for actually operating the heavy machinery on an oil patch, such as the cranes used to move pipes. Drillers also supervise the rest of their crew, a responsibility Boss also had inLandman.
Ginsel
Ginsels Rank Even Lower Than Worms In An Oil Crew
Landmanhasn’t actually shown an oil field’s ginsel in action, but it has referenced the position. InLandmanepisode 4, one of the patrons of the Patch Cafe mentioned that when he worked on a rig, he only worked with “worms, ginsels, and skinheads.“A ginsel is like a worm, but even less experienced and even more degraded. Ginsels have almost no experience on an oil patch at all, and they are essentially meant to assist a worm with their duties until the ginsel learns enough to do them themselves.
Toolpusher
Toolpushers Act As The Supervisor Of An Oil Patch
Landmanhas only briefly shown a toolpusher, but they make up an important part of an oil patch’s roughnecks.Toolpushers are basically the bosses of drillers, and they supervise the entire work site. When Tommy came to the site where Antonio was injured inLandmanepisode 4, the toolpusher there informed him that Antonio was going to the hospital and that Cooper had taken his place as derrickhand.
“Kill The Well”
Killing A Well Means Stopping Oil Production Permanently Or Temporarily
A major dilemma ofLandmanepisode 3 saw Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) debate whether to “kill the well” and let Dale (James Jordan) repair it.“Killing the well” is a term that describes the process of shutting down an oil rig either permanently because there is no more oil to drill or temporarily for maintenance or other reasons. Killing a well puts a significant dent in profits regardless of the cost of repairs, as that particular well can’t produce oil.
Fracking
Fracking Is A Controversial Way To Extend The Life Of Oil Wells
Fracking is a controversial practice in the oil industry.Fracking is a technique used to get more oil and natural gas out of a depleted well. It involves pumping water into the well along with solid materials like sand or ceramic to widen the gaps in the earth and let oil flow more easily. Fracking may have an environmental impact, however, such as groundwater contamination and pollution, which has drawn opposition from environmentalists. InLandman, Monty considered fracking the well before deciding to repair it, as he wasn’t sure how much oil was left inside.
Blowout
A Blowout Is When Something Causes A Well To Spew Oil Uncontrollably
Blowouts played a big role in the premiere ofLandman, but the show didn’t explain exactly what it is and an important clarification in the concept. A blowout is when oil erupts out of a well uncontrollably.Sometimes, as was the case inLandman, something causes that oil to ignite and shoot fire into the sky, but it doesn’t have to ignite to be considered a blowout. Blowouts are one of many worst-case scenarios on an oil field, as they’re both highly dangerous and highly costly.
Boomtowns, Booms, & Busts
Boomtowns Are Areas Rich In Natural Resources, Booms Are Periods Of Economic Prosperity, & Busts Happen When The Oil Runs Out
Tommy and Rebecca Falcone (Kayla Wallace) had a lengthy discussion inLandmanepisode 4 about booms and busts and how they affect a “boomtown.“A boomtown is a place where some valuable natural resource - mostly oil in the modern day, though historically gold and silver have also created boomtowns - is discovered, and the area experiences a period of rapid growth. InLandman, Odessa, Texas, is a boomtown. Such a discovery is called a boom, as activity in the town or area skyrockets as people come to harvest the resource and everyone starts making money.
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A bust, however, is when the natural resource runs out or diminishes to the point that there isn’t enough money to be made anymore, or the price of the boomtown’s natural resource drops dramatically and makes getting the resource more expensive than it’s worth. Busts usually cause all or most of a boomtown’s residents to pack up and leave in search of the next boom.As Tommy explained, busts can also be caused by outside forces, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Busts almost always bring economic despair for a boomtown and its residents, as they did for Tommy and Angela (Ali Larter) inLandman.
Landman
Cast
Set in West Texas, this series explores the world of oil rigs and the fortunes they create. It portrays a modern upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and billionaires, highlighting the profound impact on the climate, economy, and geopolitics in these boomtowns.
