Question: All of Cooper's wells hit oil, and they are really excited, but then later in the episode, he speaks to Tommy and tells him it's 5,000 barrels a day (I think), yet this is a problem. I don't understand how it's a problem, as I would imagine the more oil the better, so why is it such a huge issue?
The_Iceman
30th Jan 2026
Answer: Several factors. Producing too much oil too quickly can be dangerous, particularly with methane gas leaks that can cause blowout explosions. Escaping hydrogen sulfide gas is toxic and can be deadly to workers. Also, faulty and old drilling equipment like Cooper's company is a concern, making oil production more dangerous. Economic issues of producing too much oil in a short time period can create storage issues, while having higher inventory on the open market lowers prices and profits.
raywest ★
Hydrogen sulfide is hardly odorless. It smells like rotten eggs.
That's correct. I was thinking of CO2. I corrected this.
raywest ★