Oilmen Were Tough When I Filmed Them In Alaska, Sumatra & The North Sea

1975 was a tough year for the planet in part because of something that had happened the year before – the 1974 oil crisis. I got the opportunity to work with Mobil Oil and visit far-off places where the company was drilling for oil.

To see more about how this was filmed, go here - https://youtu.be/L8h_JNA9BzQ

It was an unbelievably exciting assignment and challenging. We carried 16mm cameras and sound to very remote locations that had not been filmed before. I made the four infomercials contained in this video. The results ran on TV in the prime time with the goal of sharing with Americans how difficult it was to look for oil beyond our shores.

The 1974 oil crisis, also known as the second oil shock or oil embargo, was primarily triggered by the actions of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), which declared significant reductions in oil production in October 1973.

This decision was in response to the Yom Kippur War (or October War) that started on October 6, 1973, when a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria attacked Israel. The United States, along with other western countries, supported Israel during this conflict, supplying the country with arms and other aid. In retaliation, OAPEC (a subset of OPEC including Arab member countries) announced an oil embargo against these nations on October 17, 1973.

The embargo led to drastic cuts in oil exports to the targeted nations, leading to substantial increases in the price of oil, quadrupling by the end of the embargo in March 1974. This had a significant impact on these countries' economies, leading to severe inflation, recessions, and changes in energy policies and consumption patterns.

The 1974 oil crisis was one of two major oil shocks in the 1970s, with the first one occurring in 1973 and the second one, as mentioned, in 1974. Both had profound impacts on global economies and sparked a greater interest in energy conservation and alternative energy sources.

As a result of the 1974 oil crisis, oil companies expanded their exploration and drilling activities to remote and challenging locations.

Alaska: The most significant example is the discovery and development of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field in Alaska, the largest in North America. The crisis catalyzed efforts to increase production, which began back in 1977. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, an 800-mile pipeline built to transport oil from Prudhoe Bay (where I filmed in February!) to the port of Valdez, was a major infrastructure project resulting from these efforts. I filmed the Alaska video you are watching in 49° below zero. Our 16mm cameras were constantly freezing even though I had purchased special rigs to deal with the cold weather.

Sumatra, Indonesia: Oil production in Indonesia has a long history dating back to the early 20th century. However, the crisis indeed pushed for more intense exploration and production activities. The most significant operation has been the Arun gas field in Aceh, Sumatra, which was discovered in 1971 by Mobil Oil. Each day, my crew and I flew by helicopter into Aceh province where we worked with local people and oil people. The resulting gas field provided and now provides Japan with most of its energy needs.

The North Sea: Oil companies began exploring the North Sea in the 1960s. The crisis accelerated these efforts, leading to the development of major oil fields throughout the 1970s. A helicopter took us to a rig in what seemed like the middle of nowhere and we lived on that rig with the oilmen for a week. Incredibly exciting. A bit nauseating in the first 24 hours as the swells were 60 feet high.

I am proud of the style that I created with these spots. At that time, few advertisers and ad agencies used documentary style in commercial production and I appreciate the folks at Mobil Oil for giving me the chance to present a documentary form rather than the traditional commercial style that use actors as “oilmen”.
David Hoffman Filmmaker

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