It's do or die time in the West Texas oilfields. The tension between Big Dog's driller, Justin, and his rookie, Derek, comes to a head, and only one is left standing. On the Longhorn rig, the young driller and his crew get reckless and pay the ultimate price. Wayne and his hard-working Viking crew make an unexpected discovery that could turn a common gamble into a huge fortune.

Peggy fires her gun at a roughneck's truck. And, still reeling from his fight with Tank, Cheston may quit the rig.

There's big trouble on the rigs this week. Gerald's Longhorn crew is about to hit the pay zone, when suddenly, a crisis forces them to pull all their pipe out of the ground. Danger strikes Wayne and the Viking crew and one of his roughnecks could be down for the count. On the Big Dog rig, Driller Justin tries to show his rookie Derek the ropes, but the good times don't last long.

The roughnecks have only three days left to finish the final hole when all hell breaks loose. Two of the most troubled roughnecks swap shifts; one of the most experienced hands takes a pipe spinner to the head and is rushed to the hospital; and an unscheduled drug test sends panic through one roughneck's veins. As if that isn't enough, rig owners lose confidence and contemplate handing out pink slips.

The race heats up in the oilfield. Longhorn Driller Gerald has his team in the lead but when a no-show puts the crew in jeopardy, the no-nonsense driller explodes. Wayne and the Viking crew work 'round the clock to go from dead last to neck and neck with the Longhorn men. Driller Justin takes over the powerful Big Dog rig, only to find out he's up against the toughest challenge he's ever faced: "The Well from Hell."

The roughnecks of Rig 28 are back and taking on their riskiest mission yet as they're forced to drill on untested land, with a new boss in town - the hot-tempered, meddling lady rancher who owns the land.

Cheston tries to get his job back but Brandon is reluctant to rehire him. Meanwhile, a $50,000 bit goes missing and drilling is shut down, but Oscar has an idea of who took it; and there's an instance of roughneck betrayal that causes problems.

A driller quits and the roughnecks vie for his job. Brandon fights with a repair technician; Freddy and Josh clash over the promotion of the new driller.

Peggy fires her gun at a roughneck's truck. And, still reeling from his fight with Tank, Cheston may quit the rig.

Veteran Gerald makes a rookie error that could cost everyone their jobs. Meanwhile, Pee Wee is pulling out all the stops to get Cheston to quit. And, things on the night crew get testy when Brandon makes a huge mistake that brings drilling to a screeching halt.

Cheston pushes Pee Wee to his breaking point, and even Gerald's had enough of the rig's worm. Meanwhile, Ron's evening crew loses a roughneck to another company and is forced to break in a new hand who calls himself "Tank." Plus, the roughnecks are faced with "The Hole from Hell."

In the West Texas oilfields, three crews of roughnecks hit the ground running in the race for Black Gold, but all three face disaster on day one. The Viking rig has all the advantages that come with being state-of-the-art, but the crew can barely get the system started. On the tried-and-true Longhorn rig, the smallest roughneck, Peanut, gets crushed by a piece of equipment. And one crew leader will not survive the end of the first week.

A dangerous explosion rocks the roughnecks of Rig 28, and it's an all-out sprint to finish the fourth and final hole before the looming deadline. With no driller to take charge, Freddie commands Oscar to do it himself. That doesn't sit well with Mitch, who's been gunning for the job. A battle between the two leaves only one man standing - but not for long, as an injury takes out a key player. And finally, Brandon's long awaited day in court arrives, and he must face the consequences of last year's brutal assault.

When a pressure spike causes a cave in and brings the rig to a screeching halt, Oscar steps up to the drilling slot to keep the rig running. A visit from his family reminds him of what is truly at stake. With their competition to become a Big Dog driller on hold, Mitch and Cheston have a spitting contest of sorts - roughneck style. Cheston's attempt to earn bonus points with Oscar by helping out with rig repairs backfires - big time. And a heart to heart with his father brings Brandon to tears - and closer to the root of his anger issues.

The pressure is on as time begins to run out for the crews racing to strike oil. In dead-last place, the brawny Big Dog rig completes one hole and moves on to the next, but old tensions flare between Derek and Justin, threatening their progress. The Viking crew overcomes all obstacles to reach pay dirt on hole number two. And, a change in the Longhorn rig could put the entire crew in danger.

Brandon's absence makes things difficult on Rig 28; Josh's rodeo ride could get him tossed from the job; Tank seeks a barroom brawl rematch with Cheston.

The 5th season of Black Gold gets off to a hot start with temps - and tempers - rising, with no end in sight. Brandon struggles to keep a crew on Rig 28, and puts his hands at risk by running a bare bones operation. When a worm hits the dirt, it could be the end of his drilling days. Cheston's found a new gig with plenty of perks, but gets lonely on his own.

Cheston guns for a promotion but his plan ends up backfiring when he finds himself fighting to keep his job; drilling on the rig comes to a stop with the arrival of a competitor's rig; Brandon finds himself in a pickle after a petty incident involving a sandwich mix-up.

Brandon gives Cheston a lesson in drilling; Cheston risks his friendship with Brandon; the landowner reiterates a deadline to Oscar; Brandon has legal troubles.

First, Peggy catches a roughneck relieving himself on her property. Then, Freddy clashes with the roughnecks over an annoying to-do list. Plus, Tank is mysteriously AWOL from work. And, a vicious lightning storm cripples the rig.

When the rig isn't drilling Big Dog owner Autry Stephens is on the verge of firing the crew. Worm Cheston finally gets in the good graces of his hotheaded driller Pee Wee, but learns it's sometimes dangerous to get what you wish for. And, night driller Ron finds Tank's attitude harder to manage as the ex prizefighter struggles with keeping his tank-sized ego from exploding.

It's Judgement Day for Rig 28, and the threat of being shut down has the roughnecks at each other’s throats. Plus, Gerald trespasses on private property, and faces Peggy the landowner's wrath.

Tank and Cheston get into a brutal fight. And when Cheston returns to the rig, Tank comes looking for revenge. Plus, Peggy confronts Oscar who is in over his head.

Brandon runs into legal problems and is upset when Cheston doesn't bail him out; and to compound matters, Oscar is tiring of Brandon's all-too-frequent no-shows. Later, Cheston squares off against Mitch in a battle for the vacant driller position.

Disaster strikes Big Dog 28 when a snapped chain leaves tool pusher Jerry blind in one eye. Plus, after being fired, Gerald finds an unlikely source of income. Then, Pee wee kicks Cheston off the day crew for mouthing off to the other hands, while Tank's reckless attitude puts the night crew in danger. When the fighting becomes too much, Supervisor David Kiser must decide who stays and who goes.

A rival driller pays a visit to Oscar and his crew on Rig 28; competition intensifies as the crew finishes the third and final leg of Big Dog's challenge. Later, the remaining roughnecks await news of their long-awaited bonuses.