A 56-year-old man died in a gas well incident near Jeffrey City on Wednesday that one fire chief described as an “explosion,” authorities say.
The incident, described as an “industrial accident” happened around 3:55 p.m. near Jeffrey City along Crooks Gap Road in the southeastern part of the county, according to a Thursday statement by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities do not yet know the cause of the blast, according to the sheriff’s office.
Jeffrey City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Vern Redland said Lost Soldier Oil and Gas, a Wyoming-based energy developer, was operating the well.
The company did not respond to a request for comment from Cowboy State Daily by publication deadline.
The Fremont County Coroner’s Office declined to release the identity of the deceased, citing the ongoing investigation. Wyoming coroners will generally release decedents’ identities once they’ve notified next-of-kin.
Flow Line Rupture
Redland told Cowboy State Daily his responders were the first to arrive on the scene. He said the victim was likely an employee who attempted to turn off a valve after noticing a rupture in the gas flow line.
While police used the term “blow-out” to describe the incident, Redland said the well is still operational. He confirmed the term “explosion” is accurate for this incident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating, Redland said.
Redland said the victim may have succumbed to the gas fumes or was struck by a piece of pipe in the explosion. He added that incidents such as these are relatively uncommon, but still an occupational hazard for those who work in the field.
“I don't know they're not common, but they are known to happen,” he said. “I mean, it happens all over the world. We had one up in Douglas a couple years ago blow out, and that was on fire. There's been a couple in Wyoming that have blown out in the last 10 years.
“It's something we all worry about,” he added. “Because I work in oil fields myself, I've seen wells actually blow out, had to get a well control company in there and get the well shut down.”
Fremont County Undersheriff Mike Hutchison told Cowboy State Daily the victim was deceased by the time his officers responded to the scene.
“It sounds like the fire crews are the ones that found him, and then basically told everybody that he was deceased, and made the decision not to try to move not to try to move him until the coroner got there and to document everything,” he said via phone Thursday.
What Caused It?
Similar explosions have been known to lead to litigation.
Two oil field workers, Eric Vollmar of Wyoming and Andrew Simpkins of Texas, claimed they were burned when their equipment allegedly blew up in their faces in June 2024. They launched a lawsuit against Anschutz Exploration Corp. and natural gas company Certarus Ltd.
The companies countered, saying the workers were to blame for not taking proper precautions.
“The negligence or fault of the Plaintiffs’ far outweighs that of Defendant Certarus, which negligence or fault is specifically denied,” reads a Nov. 5, 2024, answer by Certarus Ltd, filed in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming. “The sole and proximate cause of the injuries and damages of which (the workers) complain were the result of negligence or fault of third persons over whom … Certarus had neither control nor right of control.”
Vollmar said Simpkins’ backpack melted and his hands were burned, among other “gnarly” injuries resulting from the explosion.
“I guess, you know, a lot of stuff can happen out there,” Vollmar said at the time. “We’re both super lucky to be alive.”
Jackson Walker can be reached at walker@cowboystatedaily.com.
