Thunder Bay Page #7

lf we hit a high pressure

area at this speed,

there won't be nothing

we can do about it.

Well, we haven't got time

to slow down.

You won't have anything but

time if this thing blows out.

We'll be in worse trouble if

we don't come in, in eight days.

You keep the weight on

and keep this same speed.

Okay. You're the one who'll have

to explain a ruined rig, not me.

That's right.

You just keep it going.

l'm gonna get some sleep.

lf he's not gonna

worry about it, l'm sure not.

Yeah, that's right. He's giving

the orders. We just carry them out.

Hey, will you

take over for me?

l gotta go ashore.

You gonna take on La Bonne

Chance all by yourself?

No, l'm not going

near the place.

But Martin hasn't let me out

of his sight for two weeks

and l gotta get in tonight.

lt's worth 20 clams.

Now them was the words

l was waiting to hear.

Take off.

Thanks.

Hey, l can hear the echo of

Pappy's shotgun from way out here!

What's the matter?

Did it...

Take it easy,

take it easy.

l guess

l must've been dreaming.

Yeah, l know.

l've been waking up

like that myself, lately.

What brought you down?

Well, after all, this is

my baby, too, you know.

How's it going?

Just fine.

Just fine.

Hit 8,000 feet last night.

Averaging

100 feet a day.

l'll get some coffee

in the galley.

Come on. Let's take a

look at the new samples.

Steve, before we go...

What's the matter?

Nothing. You look tired.

You do, too.

What's the matter?

Steve, we had

a board meeting last night.

With a week left

to go on the lease,

they want a safety margin

against running over

and having to pay the penalty.

Oh, we're not gonna have to

pay any penalty now.

We'll flood in here

before the week's out.

They don't think so.

ln spite of everything

l could say,

they voted to

stop the operation tomorrow.

You have no more money.

You're president of the

company. Can they do that?

l'm a president

that led the company

into the biggest loss

in its history.

l don't know

if we'll pull out.

But l'm not sorry, Steve,

because if nobody took a gamble,

the oil business would stop.

lf you have faith in us,

couldn't you carry us for a week?

l've been carrying you

since you started.

The company took the lease,

but they wouldn't finance you.

Every penny l've got

is in this rig of yours.

Oh, l'm sorry, Mac.

That's all right.

l've failed before.

lt's just that it's a little

more expensive these days.

We did the best we could.

That's that.

MAN ON PA.. Blowout! Blowout!

We hit a salt water flow!

Saltwater flow! Everybody hit

the rig! All hands, hit the rig!

Mudpump room, build up the

mud weight! Let's go, men!

It's bad, it's bad.

Switch those pumps.

Come on, switch them boys!

MAN ON PA.. All hands,

hit the rig! Hit the rig!

How long's

she been kicking?

She just started.

l got the boys

checking the mud.

You better stop the drill.

You get the forward valve,

l'll take this one.

We can't build enough weight

to hold her.

Better get that kelly

out of there.

Looks like l'm gonna have

to use the blowout preventer!

All right,

hit the preventer!

Hit it!

What's the matter?

The valve's stuck.

l can't get it open!

All right! We'll go down

and use the manual control.

Come on!

Come on, you guys!

Hurry up! Come on!

Come on,

give me a hand.

Where's Gambi?

Where is he?

He went into town last night.

All right, boys.

Well, l think

we got her licked.

All right, come on,

l really got work to do now.

First, l want to thank you

for the job you just did.

l'm sorry my board of

directors wasn't here to see it.

But they're probably

sleeping late this morning.

They did quite a big job

themselves last night.

They've decided

to cut off our money.

They don't believe

we can bring this well in.

Yeah? lf that's the way they

feel about it, it's okay by me!

They know

what they can do with it...

Now, wait a minute!

Wait a minute. Hold on!

Now Mac's done all he could. He's

been with us all the way in this thing,

and he took the rap

for the whole gamble.

But we still got

one week to go on this lease,

and l'm asking you all

to go along with me.

Now, maybe some of you

have been mixed up

in a wildcat deal

like this,

and come out of it broke,

l know l have.

Mac, there, he sure has.

So what l'm doing,

l'm just making the same,

old tired promise to you

that if we strike oil,

everybody gets a $200 bonus.

Now, how about it? Huh?

Why should we gamble our time

and money if the company won't?

The company's got two million

dollars in this thing already.

Well, l'd risk a week if l really

thought there was oil down there.

But l got a feeling

there just ain't.

You listen!

There's enough oil down here

to lubricate the universe.

l'm sure sorry, Steve.

But l can't stay.

l got a family at home

and l got to send them

a paycheck every week.

l guess that's it, Steve.

Yeah we're all sorry.

That's all right,

fellows.

That's all right.

We understand.

Well, you picked

a good time to take off.

But l don't think

you should've come back.

Looks like l was right.

She did blow.

Why did you

leave the barge?

l had a date!

Okay.

You've been asking for this

from the beginning.

You knew there was a chance

for a blowout!

Why didn't you stay here

and watch for it?

You had that coming, too!

You never understood it,

but with me,

this is no holy crusade.

lt's only a job!

You've been crowding the men,

you've been crowding the rig,

l've been telling you that.

But you don't crowd me.

Why did you

leave the barge?

l told you l had a date.

l got married!

All right, take him with you

and get off the barge.

All of you.

l'm sorry, Steve.

Maybe we'll have

better luck next time.

Next time, nothing.

l'm going to finish this job

if l have to do it myself.

What does he mean,

do it himself?

We're all quitting.

The main office

stopped his money.

None of us can afford

to work for nothing, Gambi.

Did he ask you to do it?

Yeah, he asked for a week.

Gave us the same old

bonus pitch.

You should have taken it.

What do you mean?

You know

he's just liable to do it,

bring it in

all by himself.

And l don't know

whether l'm gonna let him

get the last laugh on me

or not!

What?

After all the work we did,

we ought to have

some of the glory

of bringing in

the first offshore well.

Do you really think there's a

chance of coming in this week?

The samples are looking

better every day.

MacDONALD:
Fellows,

l'll up that bonus to

$300 a man, if we come in.

Look, what's one

pay check?

All you do is toss it

into a crap game anyway.

l'm for staying.

Anybody else?

lf you can take what he just

gave you and still back him,

l don't guess

l got any complaints.

Yeah, yeah! And l just remembered

that 20 clams you owe me!

So l think l'll just

stick around and collect.

How about

the rest of you?

Another week won't kill me.

l'll stay.

Yeah!

All right, let's get

up there and go to work.

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