Oilfield Trash

"Frank's not high on the Africa deal," Jake's boss said to him after he returned from an afternoon investment opportunity meeting.

"Because of the pipeline?" he asked, knowing it was the project's Achilles heel.

"Yes, exactly. Without the low-cost routing, the economics just aren't that great, and it looks like there are lots of headwinds to get it," the older man confirmed.

"So, we're dropping it then?" he asked.

"Not quite yet. We decided to send another team over to meet with the government and see if we can get it unstuck. I want you to be part of it," the supervisor explained.

Jake Becker was a thirty-year-old employee of a second-tier international oil and gas company. An engineer by training, he had paid his dues on a three-year assignment in the Middle East working incredible hours to complete a challenging drilling program. Because of his performance there, he got the chance to move into the development end of the business while he completed an executive MBA program. He had finished a few months ago and was now eager to get fully re-engaged in the business. The only obstacle he faced was his forthcoming wedding.

"Uhhh... remember, I'm getting married in May," he reminded his boss.

The executive chuckled, and then said, "I know... don't worry. I can't see this being more than a week or so. Whatever the outcome, we'll need to come back and regroup."

That night over dinner, Jake explained to his fiancé, Helen, that he needed to make the trip.

"Jake, it's right in the middle of everything. Can't someone else, do it?" she asked.

"Honey, it's a big honor... a huge honor and I will be traveling with some really senior people," he responded.

"A bigger honor than your wedding?" she asked, deciding to give him a dig.

"Well... uhhh... I didn't say that," he answered.

A smile came to her face that swiftly turned into a giggle, and Jake realized she had played him.

"What are the dates? When are you going?" she asked.

"I'm not completely sure, but very soon," he told her.

"Honey, I understand, but please try not to miss the couple's showers," she pleaded.

Jake realized how lucky he was to be engaged to the young woman. He had spent years in a difficult environment with almost no female interaction, and it seemed the Gods rewarded him when he met Helen shortly after his return. However, at the time, she was in a relationship, so things moved slowly before she finally decided she wanted to be with him. It had been nineteen months since they first met and they were to be married in another two.

Helen was a very attractive 8th grade English teacher. A slender 5'7" tall, she had blonde hair that extended just past her shoulders, pert B-cup breasts, and long legs that merged into a tight behind. In Jake's view, one of her best attributes was her adventurous spirit as she was usually up for any outdoor activity. Indeed, most weekends found them enjoying a hike, a bike ride, or exploring some new spot.

Jake had not been directly involved with the project, so he spent most of his time before the trip immersing himself in the details. The oil discovery was inland and the development required a cross-country pipeline to allow export. By far, the biggest problem was the mountain range that separated the field from the coast. A northern route was achievable, but costly, and resulted in marginal project economics. However, a southern route, through a broad pass, significantly reduced the cost and greatly improved the returns. The problem was this path traversed the lands of a protected tribe that still lived a simple nomadic existence following long-established customs. From the start, it had proved problematic, with the government deeply concerned, and when the multi-lateral agencies caught wind of things, they had demanded that the project follow strict protocols. The most important step was to obtain the unequivocal support of the indigenous people, and the purpose of the upcoming trip was to determine if the company could convince the government to negotiate on their behalf.

Fortunately, the date for the visit didn't interfere with any wedding events which relieved Helen and turned her demeanor from reluctant acceptance to enthusiastic support. She spent time online researching the region then made him promise to take lots of pictures and load up on souvenirs.

Besides Jake, the other travelers included the SVP of exploration, the company's chief counsel, and his boss, which made the young employee feel quite important. If nothing else, he thought he would have an excellent opportunity to rub elbows with men that could have a big influence on his career.

When they arrived in-country, a local attorney hired to act as the company's representative met them at the airport. Oma, as he preferred to be called, had an average build, a bald head, and an awkward smile. Jake guessed he was in his mid-forties and noted his casual dress and easy-going manner. After resting for a day, the team met in a hotel conference room to discuss the situation, and Oma explained in detail that with the outside agencies watching closely, the government had little latitude. He explained candidly that payments might help to some extent, but the chief counsel quickly shut him down. Thus, it was with minimal expectation that they met with the President and several of his ministers the next day.

"Of course, we want the project. We have no issue with the pipeline or your company, but the path to the coast is difficult," he started.

"Sir, we understand your message, but please appreciate the additional cost involved with the alternate route and the impact on economics. Frankly, it's not very appealing unless we take the better route," the SVP explained.

From there, it went back and forth for hours with no real progress. While the government stood to gain a great deal from the production sharing, they offered no help with the tribal issue.

"You must understand the...position...the stranglehold these institutions have over my country," the President finally stated with disgust.

"What is your suggestion?" the SVP responded.

Jake felt it was a defeatist statement intended to just bring closure to the meeting. Clearly, the company had achieved nothing from the visit, and it appeared it was over.

"You must go to see the chiefs and you must talk to them. Convince them that it is a good project. If they nod their heads, it will go very quickly," he replied.

With that, the meeting concluded and the team returned to the hotel. In retrospect, Jake thought that if they had been able to go straight to the airport and depart, they would have abandoned the project. However, they were not in a place with a multitude of flights and their scheduled departure was not for another thirty hours. After dropping their things in their rooms, they met in the hotel bar and it wasn't long before they returned to the message they had received. The conversation was mostly between Jakes's boss, Oma, and the SVP, and it lasted through four rounds of drinks, before finally ending.

"It's not an "A" opportunity. In fact, it's a long shot, but I could see us investing a little... for a while. We would have to get somebody to go meet with the tribes and try to make the case," the SVP said and then paused in thought before continuing, "I think the issue, the problem would be that it would take a while. Someone would have to be committed to spending some time in the... lands... with the chiefs."

"Yes... yes... I agree," Oma said, clearly eager to see any forward movement.

Jake saw his boss look at him and they stared at each other for a few seconds before the older man replied, "I think Jake would be a candidate. He knows the project, but he's getting married in a couple of months, so we would have to work around that."

"Jake?" the SVP asked.

"Well, I mean... if we can take the wedding into account...then...I would...I would love to," he said, realizing he needed to deliver a positive message.

"Of course, we have to take your wedding into account, the executive said," and then once again paused to think before adding, "Think about this. You come back for a week before you get married and visit the lands with Oma. Then, after you get married and get settled, come back. Maybe, a month or so after the wedding. In the interim, you...we can strategize with Oma. When you come back though, be prepared to stay for a while."

When he saw all the men nodding, he knew he didn't have a choice. In their mind, they had more than adequately addressed his marriage concerns.

"Sounds good," Jake said.

Luckily, when he returned home and explained everything to his future wife, her primary concern was how long he would be gone after the wedding. He told her honestly, that he didn't think it had a definitive start and end date, but he couldn't possibly imagine it would last more than six weeks, and based on that, she accepted the plan.

Oma reached out soon thereafter informing the group that he had contacted the tribal leaders and had held some preliminary discussions. He suggested Jake return in three weeks following the general guidelines they had discussed, and once again, he managed to schedule the trip so that it didn't interfere with the wedding plans.

"Just a little longer," Helen whined.

It was Saturday afternoon, and the young oilman's flight required him to leave for the airport soon to begin the long journey. He was on top of his fiancé, with his dick pushed deep inside, slowly moving while enjoying her soft mews. The previous evening, they had gone to dinner with friends, and when they arrived home, they had gone straight to bed. Their lovemaking had lasted all night with each of them waking the other to start anew.

"I can barely move," Jake moaned.

"You can sleep on the airplane," she countered.

Helen enjoyed sex although she usually waited for Jake to initiate things. However, once going, she could become very passionate. She loved receiving oral pleasure and if excited enough she would give, as well. She had tiny pink nipples that were extremely sensitive and connected directly to her vagina. Just a few gentle licks typically had her squirming as her pussy gushed. She had experienced two orgasms since they started, with the second being a monster, so Jake knew there was little chance of getting her there again. Likewise, he had completely drained his balls, so their current connection was languid and loving.

"No masturbation while you're gone," she giggled.

"Why? That's mean," he laughed.

"I want you crawling the walls," she whispered.

"Sweetie, you always make me crawl the walls," he replied and kissed her hard.

Even though Jake left on a Saturday, he didn't arrive in the capital until just past noon on Monday. Oma met him at the airport and they discussed things for an hour before he went to rest. The following morning, they took a private plane to the closest airport, and then embarked on a six-hour overland trek by SUV to get to the tribal lands.

"There are three different groups in the needed area and the largest is led by Chief Tiajuwu. I think our strategy should be to concentrate on convincing him and then get his help with the others. Also, his camp is less nomadic which should help," Oma explained.

"You think the other two will accept that? They won't be offended?" Jake asked.

"There might be some issues with the second-largest led by Chief Maipu, but the third is quite small. In any case, I suggest we begin this way," he replied.

"Makes sense, Oma. Tell me about Chief Tiajuwu," he said.

"He is not too old, perhaps early forties. He is quite strong-willed and can be volatile, so we must be careful in our approach. From my inquiries, it seems he is very loyal to his people and the land, and I'm told he is less corrupt than most. This, I think, will be in our favor," he explained.

"That's good because the company is still feeling the effects of something that happened almost ten years ago. There will be no tolerance for that kind of stuff," Jake replied, referring to an old bribery situation.

"I understand," the local advisor acknowledged, and then added, "Still, it is Africa, so we must be prepared for the approach."

"Jake nodded, and then asked, "Will there be others...foreigners in the area?"

"Likely, not. It is well past the tourist areas...much too difficult to get to and rough. Sometimes researchers are studying the people, but I have not heard of anything recent," he said.

"Good. One of my concerns was a bunch of liberal troublemakers," he said.

"I think we should be fine, but it is only a short visit and if we encounter something, we will have to evaluate," Oma responded.

For the final three hours of the journey, they had to travel off-road utilizing a satellite GPS for guidance. The landscape consisted of reddish arid plains, occasionally interspersed with low hills, and covered with scrub vegetation. The young engineer thought it shared many similarities to the southwestern part of the United States, which felt welcoming. Jake had expected a hotter temperature but Oma explained that it was normally temperate during the current season at their altitude. His preparation had made him aware that this part of Africa didn't have the animal population of other parts of the continent. Still, he expected something and felt disappointed that so far, they had encountered nothing of significance. Finally, on the horizon, they spotted what appeared to be a small settlement.

Jake looked around as they climbed from the vehicle and saw they were in a camp with around thirty small structures. Each was round with a thatched roof, and the stick-built walls had a mud coating. Three nearby corrals contained livestock and in the center of the village was an open space with a fire pit that he assumed served as a meeting area. Smoke drifted from multiple fires, and as he stepped closer, his nose picked up a smell that seemed to be a combination of dung, cooking, and sweat. Curious natives began to approach them and Jake saw that most of the women were exposed from the waist up. Although knowledgeable of the custom, he still felt self-conscious and tried to avert his gaze. Soon, several dozen people, both males and females of various ages surrounded them.

Oma spoke in his native tongue to the driver and assistant who quickly began to unload their equipment. Then, Jake watched as he spoke slowly to a nearby man who directed them with his outstretched arm towards one of the larger structures. Oma indicated for him to wait as he turned towards the shelter, and just as he arrived, a figure emerged showing a stern expression. They held a brief conversation, and then the man disappeared back inside. Jake didn't get a good look, but from what he could tell, the native man was over six-foot and thin, wearing a cloth garment that wrapped around his waist, a cloth cap, and sandals.

Oma spoke to the helpers again, and then advised Jake, "Chief Tiajuwu said to set-up over there, by those far huts."

"He looked older than forty," the young man stated.

"It's a hard life out here. They age swiftly," he replied.

They set about helping the other men and just before sundown they had prepared their camp. Oma had not scrimped in arranging for the tent, cots, chairs, and other accessories, so they had a functional and reasonably comfortable set-up. There was one tent for the driver and helper, one for Oma, and one for Jake. In the center, they strung tarps to shield the sun which provided a shaded sitting area. Water was in short supply, so there would be no bathing, but they had brought a good supply of towelettes to provide some ability to stay clean. Exhausted from the travel, after a quick snack, the young American man went to sleep.

The next morning everyone was up early and after breakfast, Oma took Jake for a walking tour of the settlement. They started at a corral where he saw a woman milking a scrawny cow and then they started walking through the huts. Along the way, the advisor described some of the customs and dress. Interestingly, Jake found the woman to be somewhat alluring. Of course, there were the exposed breasts that came in all shapes and sizes, but it was more than that, as in general, they had a handsome appearance and dignified bearing. Like the chief, they wore sandals and had loose-fitting garments of red and brown cloth that circled their waist and extended almost to the knee. Around their necks, they had multiple necklaces made of some sort of fiber, but the most striking thing was their braided hair and red coloring.

"Tell me about the red stuff," Jake said to Oma.

"It's made from a stone and mixed with fat. The women wear it for beauty and protection from the sun," he explained.

"Those aren't... they don't have it," the young man replied, nodding towards two girls.

"No, they are too young," he said.

"What makes them too young?" he asked, although he suspected he knew the answer.

"When their time has come. Then, they are considered an adult and will be married," he replied, confirming Jake's thought, and then quickly added, "I understand Chief Tiajuwu has a wife that is quite young."

"How many does he have?" Jake asked.

"At the moment, I believe it's two," he said.

A mixed group of males and females had taken a position close by and were talking about them.

Jake watched them interact for a while as they chatted and giggled, and then asked, "What are they saying?"

"I don't understand everything because they are speaking very fast, but they are talking about you and your white skin," he explained.

"Good or bad?" the young man laughed.

"They are wondering if your butt and...your genitals are also white," he laughed, with the young man joining in.

After the brief tour, they returned to their tents and a little later Oma went to speak with the Chief. He tried to get an audience to discuss the project but received a swift rejection. The message deflated Jake, but the advisor explained that he expected the response and that they needed to be patient. He counseled the young man to relax and spend the next few days interacting with the people and learning their customs. Jake accepted the message, as he was curious about the culture, so, it's exactly what he did.

Surprisingly, he was able to pick up on the rhythms of the village quickly. He noted the organization and breakdown of activities, when a task was going well, and when to expect intervention. With Oma as a translator, he learned about their dress, how they gathered food and prepared it, and the fact that they had satellite cattle stations so they wouldn't overgraze an area. Through the discussion, he learned that they measured wealth by livestock.

"What about bathing?" he asked Oma as they sat with an older man and his wife.

"Water is scarce, so most of the time they cleanse using smoke," he explained.

"Does it work?" Jake asked, having never heard about the technique.

"It must be effective! After all," the man responded, sarcastically.

"I can't get over the red," he said, as he looked over a woman seated near them.

He had managed to get comfortable with the partial nudity but was still intrigued by their practice of using the paste. The woman had braided hair, liberally covered with the substance, as was the rest of her torso, including her sagging breasts. The standard thick fibrous loops circled her neck and she wore a small skirt, made of a natural material, but paid little attention to its position. They had many discussions with small groups in the village over the next few days. With each interaction, Jake's respect for their dignity and humble manners grew, and other than the annoyance of swarming bugs and the inconvenience of absent toilets, he realized he was enjoying the visit.

Occasionally, while wandering the village, he noticed a young girl watching him, although she always stayed a short distance away. On their third day, he finally decided to ask Oma about her.