Litigation Support and Preparation of Expert Report, Major Gas Company

Sovereign was retained by a West Virginia law firm and a major Marcellus Shale gas company to provide litigation support and prepare an expert report. A lawsuit was brought against Sovereign’s client by two families that alleged that their shared potable well was contaminated by the drilling of a nearby gas well in Ripley, WV.

Sovereign reviewed hundreds of pages of geological, hydrogeological, and drilling information and data regarding the claim. A water quality sampling strategy was recommended by Sovereign and implemented by others for the shared potable well that was allegedly impacted by the drilling of the gas well. Sovereign formulated a hydrogeological and water quality opinion relating to residential water quality in the vicinity of the gas well in question. In addition, Sovereign reviewed an expert report prepared by others. As a result of the review of this information, Sovereign determined that the relatively shallow potable well was hydraulically separated from the gas well. Sovereign opined that a nearby gas well which was not properly plugged and filled was the likely source of impact to the potable well.

Sovereign worked closely with the law firm and the gas company and prepared an expert report that provided interpretations of data and information related to alleged water quality issues resulting from the installation of the gas well. Sovereign’s findings were communicated to the opposing counsel. Upon consideration of the facts and opinion offered by Sovereign, the lawsuit was settled out of court, providing a substantial cost savings and protracted an expensive litigation for the client.