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Boomtown - Podcast

Boomtown

 Imperative Entertainment and Texas Monthly

In a rugged corner of West Texas, billionaire wildcatters and roughnecks are fueling an oil boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics. This modern-day gold rush has sent both big oil companies and scrappy start-ups scrambling to secure a piece of the action. Texas Monthly’s Christian Wallace follows characters along every rung of the oil field ladder, from the executive cutting billion-dollar deals to the itinerant pipeline worker risking life and limb, and from the traveling exotic dancer following the trail of money to those who worry that our planet is on a path to destruction. Meet the people cashing in and those just trying to get by as the world around them is turned upside down.


"A beautiful ride filled with levity, even as it delivers troubling forecasts for the future" - The Atlantic


2021 Webby Award Honoree, Podcast Documentary

Society & Culture News Documentary
Update frequency
every 7 days
Average duration
38 minutes
Episodes
15
Years Active
2019 - 2023
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Boomtown Follow-up: The One-Two Punch | Chapter 12

Boomtown Follow-up: The One-Two Punch | Chapter 12

Christian Wallace talks to some familiar faces from the Boomtown series in an attempt to understand what happened on April 20, 2020—when oil prices went negative for the first time in history. Learn …
00:43:24  |   Thu 30 Apr 2020
The Last Frontier | Chapter 11

The Last Frontier | Chapter 11

Record-breaking oil production in the Permian Basin has brought the boom to the doorstep of the Big Bend for the first time. Is it too late to save this pristine landscape? Upstart: Find out how low…
00:56:39  |   Tue 18 Feb 2020
The Mitchell Paradox | Chapter 10

The Mitchell Paradox | Chapter 10

No oil and gas baron since John D. Rockefeller has made more of an impact on society than George P. Mitchell. But this son of poor Greek immigrants who died a billionaire wanted to leave a legacy bey…
00:48:51  |   Tue 11 Feb 2020
A Dark Horizon | Chapter 9

A Dark Horizon | Chapter 9

Christian talks with renowned business writer Bethany McLean about how the finances of fracking aren't what they're cracked up to be. Upstart: Find out how low your rate is at upstart.com/boomtown. …
00:40:46  |   Tue 04 Feb 2020
Wild West Texas | Chapter 8

Wild West Texas | Chapter 8

The uneasy alliance between ranchers and the oil industry goes all the way back to the early wildcatting days in West Texas. But today, that relationship is more fraught than ever. SimpliSafe: Get fr…
00:58:25  |   Tue 28 Jan 2020
Mojo Magic | Chapter 7

Mojo Magic | Chapter 7

The Permian Basin is the birthplace of Friday Night Lights. But the historic oil boom threatens beloved high school football traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc…
00:44:29  |   Tue 21 Jan 2020
A Thin Line | Chapter 6

A Thin Line | Chapter 6

During booms, the Permian Basin sees a rise in prostitution charges. But misperceptions and stereotypes about sex work have led to policies that may actually harm the women involved. SimpliSafe: Get…
00:34:48  |   Tue 14 Jan 2020
Boobtown | Chapter 5

Boobtown | Chapter 5

We explore a different kind of boom in the Permian Basin. Meet the women working at a lingerie coffee shop, a “breastaurant,” and two area strip clubs. Upstart: Find out how low your rate is at Upst…
00:37:02  |   Tue 07 Jan 2020
Life and Death on the Rig | Chapter 4

Life and Death on the Rig | Chapter 4

In the Permian Basin, the rewards of roughnecking come with incredible risk. For one Andrews family, that danger became a true nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ad…
00:34:47  |   Tue 31 Dec 2019
Dust to Dust | Chapter 3

Dust to Dust | Chapter 3

A devastating bust transforms the Permian from a promised land into a wasteland. Then, thanks to a quiet, unassuming Texas oilman named George Mitchell, the region comes roaring back. Learn more abou…
00:42:24  |   Tue 24 Dec 2019
Rise of the Permian | Chapter 2

Rise of the Permian | Chapter 2

We go back to 1923, and the Santa Rita No. 1, the well that put West Texas oil on the map. We recount the beginnings of rowdy boomtowns and the swaggering wildcatters whose influence would eventually…
00:40:04  |   Tue 17 Dec 2019
Highway To Hell | Chapter 1

Highway To Hell | Chapter 1

Host Christian Wallace takes us back to his hometown in the Permian Basin, which is nearly unrecognizable to him today. We meet a few of the people whose lives have been upended by the biggest oil bo…
00:48:16  |   Tue 10 Dec 2019
Trailer: Boomtown

Trailer: Boomtown

In a rugged corner of West Texas, billionaire wildcatters and roughnecks are fueling an oil boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics.    Boomtown is a 10-part podcast …
00:04:49  |   Mon 02 Dec 2019
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