B4 N THE NEW YORK TIMES BUSINESSTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
WORKPLACEBut the boom has also brought monotony,
with one long day bleeding into the next. He
sings country songs as he drives and vapes
throughout. “This is the most lonesome job
I’ve ever had,” he said.
One reason Mr. Wilkinson puts in the long
days is Kayla, his 13-year-old daughter, who
moved to Midland with him. Mr. Wilkinson’s
older son stayed behind in North Texas as
they got settled.
Midland was the fastest-growing metro
area in the country last year, and housing
has been scarce. When they arrived, the
Wilkinsons moved into a cramped trailer in
an RV park beside a truck depot.
But the location was strategic: The RV
park is a short trip to one of the best middle
schools in the area. “I would be lost without
my kids,” Mr. Wilkinson said.
The history in the Permian is a bumpy
one. It has been producing oil for a century
and was the primary fuel source of the
World War II allied effort. But by 2005, pro-
duction had sharply declined, and ghost
towns and abandoned gas stations littered
the desert, artifacts of the periodic busts.
Over the last decade, small, innovative
companies began experimenting with hy-
draulic fracturing of shale rock that had pre-
viously been considered near worthless.
The Permian now accounts for one out of
every three barrels of oil produced in the
United States, and more than most other
major oil-producing nations.
After attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Ara-
bia over the weekend, the ripple effects in
the markets were relatively muted, in part
because of the amount of oil the United
States supplies.
There are now 55,000 people who work in
the Permian. Mr. Wilkinson says he has
found a certain camaraderie with other
transplants: “They are either escaping debt
or family issues or poverty.”
That economic lifting is being felt broadly.
On Wednesday, officials in New Mexico said
they would make tuition at its public col-
leges and universities free for all state resi-
dents, using the revenue from oil produc-
tion to pay for much of the costs.
Oil is so profitable now that companies
would rather burn off excess gas than wait
to attach pipelines or try to slow down the
flow. But with that comes an environmental
cost — one of many that the recent boom
has been creating, critics say.
For Mr. Wilkinson, the road can be treach-
erous. He has already been involved in four
accidents, one of which was a multiple-vehi-
cle collision that killed two people and sent
shrapnel flying at his truck.
“I have to make money and this is the
best way I can make money,” he said. “If
you’re not educated and have a good work
ethic, you can come out here and still make
six figures.”
Several weeks ago, Mr. Wilkinson’s 16-
year-old son, Jacob, joined the family in
Midland. He started high school across the
street from Kayla’s school and began taking
driving lessons.
Mr. Wilkinson is planning to eventually
take a test so he can drive a heavy hauler
truck, which would allow him to make at
least $4,000 a week. Then a house for him
and his children will be in reach, he said, as
well as college for both.
“Life will be really good,” he said. “It
would be nice to go on vacation once a year.”Boom Times and Fresh Starts
In the Permian Basin Oil Fields
Mr. Wilkinson, a
“hot shot” truck
driver, relaxing
after a long day
hauling pipes and
drums for oil
drillers.Mike Wilkinson and
his children moved
from North Texas
into a cramped
camper in an RV
park in Midland.
The park is near
one of the best
schools in the area.Omar Raul Ramirez,
left, and Tim
Brenton dining at
KD’s Bar-B-Q in
Midland last month.
About 55,000
people, many of
them transplants,
work in the
Permian.Above left, Mr.
Wilkinson helping
his 16-year-old son,
Jacob, register for
classes. Mr.
Wilkinson’s
daughter, Kayla, 13,
above right.PHOTOGRAPHS BY TAMIR KALIFA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
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