After acquiring various field assets for natural gas production, Jonah Energy needed to implement an annual groundwater sampling program to monitor potential changes in water quality associated with development. Their new properties included a natural gas production area of 24,000 acres and more than 1,500 active wells, as well as more than 100,000 undeveloped acres. The first step in this groundwater sampling program was documenting water quality in the wells and springs prior to development in the Jonah Field and Normally Pressurized Lance project areas.

With our sound knowledge of the Wyoming regulatory community, RETTEW was a natural fit for management and implementation of Jonah’s annual program. We performed sampling for close to 50 water supply wells and water sources in accordance with Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) requirements. Some of the challenges with this project included logistics in accessing the water wells, troubleshooting well pumps, and adjusting sampling methods based on well accessibility. Other challenges included ensuring that data reporting limits and quality were consistent with WOGCC standards. In part, this annual water sampling program helps preserve Jonah Energy’s defense against future pollution claims related to planned production wells in these specific project areas.