Is 'Landman' Season 2's gas leak based on real-life incidents? All about episode 3's invisible killer
Paramount+'s series 'Landman' is back with its second season, taking fans on another ride through the dangerous and complex world in the oil fields of Texas. And the third episode of 'Landman' Season 2, titled 'Almost a Home', brought to light a danger that surrounds the oil industry. In the episode, workers at the site of a rusted well, taken over by M-Tex, find themselves facing a deadly gas leak that had already killed several hunters and animals, as per Harper's Bazaar. After 'Almost a Home' aired on November 30, many fans wondered whether similar incidents had ever occurred in U.S. history—and the short answer is yes.
'Landman' Season 2 Episode 3 begins with a group of hunters approaching an oil well and tank as they fire shots at wild boars. One of the hunters hops out of the vehicle and tries to approach the animal they were hunting. As he gets closer to the tank, he starts coughing and then falls to the ground. His friends jump out of the vehicle to help him, but things don’t go as planned. The others, too, begin coughing and collapse.
As the episode progresses, Dale, Boss, and a few other oil workers reach the same well to fix the damage caused by a lightning strike. Jerrell gets to the top of the oil tank and manages to spot the vehicle left by the group of hunters. As Dale and his co-workers edge closer to the vehicle, they discover the group of men slumped on the ground. With the help of their sensors, they detect H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide), a deadly gas that comes with serious health issues. As per the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Just a few breaths of air containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death."
The dangerous situation portrayed in the 'Landman' Season 2 episode is not very far from reality when it comes to oil fields in the U.S.A. One of the most infamous incidents of H2S leaks happened in Denver City, Texas, in 1975. A rupture in a pipe connection on an experimental gas injection well led to a gas leak that killed nine people. After the horrifying incident, stiffer regulations were put in place in Texas. Despite that, many similar incidents have taken place. As per E&E News, in October 2019, a lethal fog of hydrogen sulphide killed a worker and his wife in Odessa, Texas.
