Two Wyoming energy companies, Anschutz Exploration Corp. and Certarus Ltd., are facing a lawsuit over two separate explosions that injured oil field workers in Carbon County last winter, Cowboy State Daily reports.
In recent court filings, however, both companies deny responsibility, instead attributing the incidents to the alleged negligence of the workers themselves and their employer.
The plaintiffs, Eric Vollmar of Wyoming and Andrew Simpkins of Texas, filed suit in June, accusing the companies of negligence that allegedly led to the explosions on a fracking site. The incidents, which occurred within six weeks of each other in December 2023 and January 2024, are claimed to have been caused by unsafe worksite conditions and improper handling of gas pressure.
In their defense, both Certarus and Anschutz argue that they were not responsible for the explosions, attributing them to factors beyond their control, including alleged lapses by HP Oilfield Services LLC, the employer overseeing the workers at the site. Certarus maintains in court documents that the “negligence or fault of the Plaintiffs far outweighs that of Defendant Certarus,” and denies any direct responsibility. Anschutz echoed this position, arguing that the plaintiffs were working under HP Oilfield’s management and not at the specific invitation of Anschutz, which owns and manages the fracking site.
According to court records, HP Oilfield Services was contracted to oversee on-site operations and worker safety. Although Anschutz questioned why Vollmar and Simpkins did not include HP Oilfield in the lawsuit, no claims have been filed against the company, and they have not responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit outlines chilling accounts of both explosions. Vollmar describes how on December 17, 2023, while approaching a propane-fueled “hot box” on the worksite, he heard a high-pitched whistle, likely from gas buildup in a line. Moments later, an explosion sent flames surging toward him, leaving him with burns across his face, neck, back, and hands.
“It was a giant surging ball of flame that just got us,” Vollmar told Cowboy State Daily in an interview.
He considers himself “super lucky to be alive,” crediting his survival to the fact that the propane tank itself did not explode. He recounted how a nearby water crew believed they were witnessing his death as they saw him engulfed in flames, with his beard and hair smoldering from the blast.
A second explosion occurred approximately six weeks later, injuring Simpkins as he walked back to the cab of an 18-wheeler on site. The complaint states that a frac heater on the rig “suddenly exploded,” severely burning Simpkins and melting his backpack. Vollmar said Simpkins’ hands suffered extensive injuries and described them as “gnarly.”
In response to the lawsuit, both Certarus and Anschutz assert that they neither caused nor could control the conditions that led to the explosions, arguing that the workers and HP Oilfield Services are to blame. Certarus, which supplied natural gas for the site, claimed that it had “neither control nor right of control” over the events that led to the explosions. Anschutz’s filings underscore that their company did not directly oversee HP Oilfield’s operations or safety measures on site.
The lawsuit is set to proceed, with a pretrial conference scheduled for December 2. US District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson will preside over the proceedings.
Despite the legal defenses raised by the companies, Vollmar emphasized the life-threatening risks that oil field workers face daily. He reflected on the near-fatal explosions saying:
“A lot of stuff can happen out there. We’re both super lucky to be alive.”
