// Case study

Targeting Wellfield Development Saves Millions

The Problem:

Finding groundwater shouldn’t require expensive guesswork.
A municipality in arid northwestern Oklahoma needed to develop a new high-capacity municipal
wellfield within the Ogallala Aquifer to meet growing water demands. With little subsurface
information available, conventional wellfield development would have relied on iterative drilling and
testing, a costly approach with no guarantee of locating the most productive portions of the aquifer.

Project Challenges

  • Growing municipal water demand
  • Limited existing hydrogeologic data
  • High risk of drilling low-yield production wells
  • Need to maximize long-term groundwater production
  • Pressure to minimize exploration costs and project schedule

The Solution:

Scan First. Drill with Confidence.
Aestus deployed GeoTrax Survey™ to image the subsurface before confirmation drilling began. Continuous electrical resistivity imaging identified variations in lithology, aquifer thickness, and buried paleochannels that could not be resolved using existing well information alone.

The electrical images revealed:
  • Buried paleochannels controlling groundwater flow
  • Variations in aquifer thickness
  • More accurate interpretation of the base of the Ogallala Formation
  • High-confidence test well drilling targets
Using these images, seven test well locations were selected in electrically resistive zones interpreted to represent coarse-grained, water-bearing sediments.
Test well drilling targets and paleo channels in targeting wellfield development

Technical Interpretation:

The figures on the right compare GeoTrax Survey™ electrical images from Line 8 and Line 12 with the selected confirmation drilling targets.

Image interpretation includes:
  • Blue horizontal line – Water table elevation
  • Purple horizontal line – Base of the Ogallala from existing well data
  • Green interpreted surface – Electrical contact (~60 Ω-m) representing the interpreted electrical base of the Ogallala
  • Orange Line – Test well drilling locations
The electrical images demonstrated that portions of the aquifer were significantly thicker than previously interpreted from well logs alone. Test well drilling verified these interpretations.
GeoTrax Survey™ electrical images from Line 8 and Line 12 with the selected confirmation drilling targets.

Outcome:

Better information. Better wells. Millions saved.
Every GeoTrax Survey™ test well drilling target successfully produced a viable municipal supply
well, demonstrating the value of imaging the aquifer before committing to expensive drilling.
Project Results
  • 7 of 7 targeted test well borings produced productive municipal wells
  • Test well yields ~1 MGD or more
  • Paleochannels mapped across the investigation area
  • Base of the Ogallala Formation mapped with greater confidence than well logs alone
  • Wellfield characterization completed in less than three months
  • Estimated $7.8 million and significant time saved by reducing unnecessary exploratory drilling and optimizing well placement
Photos of field team deployment and confirmation drilling for targeting wellfield development

Why it Matters

Traditional wellfield development often relies on drilling first and interpreting the subsurface afterward. GeoTrax Survey™ reverses that process by providing continuous subsurface imaging before drilling begins. The result is a more complete conceptual hydrogeologic model, higher drilling success rates, lower exploration costs, and greater confidence that production wells are placed where they will deliver the greatest long-term yield.

Project at a Glance

  • LOCATION:
    Northwestern Oklahoma
  • CLIENTS:
    Municipal Water Utility: Guymon, OK
    Engineer/Consultant: Ardurra
  • PROJECT SCALE:
    12 GeoTrax Survey Lines
    Over ~ 1 square mile
  • TEST WELLS: 7 of 7 at ~1 MGD
  • PROJECT DURATION:
    <3 months (Aestus work)
  • INVESTMENT WITH AESTUS:
    ~$200,000 (2023)
  • RETURN ON INVESTMENT:
    Estimated $7.8 MILLION

Results

  • Significant money and time saved through targeted drilling
  • Reduced drilling risk through optimized well placement
  • Mapped base of Ogallala Aquifer
  • Identified paleochannels controlling groundwater production
  • Characterization for wellfield development in < 3 months vs. years (typically)

$7.8 Million Saved

All 7 test well locations identified by Aestus produced test well yields of ~1 million gallons per day (MGD). Aestus’ scan first approach is estimated to have saved $7.8 million, compared to traditional iterative trial-and-error drilling.
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Madison Culver
Madison Culver, M.Sc.
Staff Geologist / Field Technician
Since joining Aestus in 2024, Madison has performed various project tasks including field data acquisition, data integration and analysis, 2D and 3D visualization, and project report development.

As an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University, Madison utilized electrical resistivity imaging to locate a drilling target for a municipal water well in rural Oklahoma. Her Master’s degree, also from Oklahoma State University, focused on the production and laboratory testing of a novel groundwater tracing particle for use in a sole source aquifer.

Madison previously worked at an environmental consulting firm in Dallas, Texas, where she performed soil/groundwater investigations/reporting, PFAS sampling programs, and Environmental Site Assessments.

Madison is based out of Irving, Texas.
Michelle Lahti
Michelle Lahti, PACE
Administrative Director
Since joining Aestus in 2021, Michelle has supported the CEO and other managers in their day-to-day needs. She also manages human resources and all elements of the many conferences Aestus attends. Michelle works hard to ensure that the needs of stakeholders are addressed in all steps of the business process when working with our clients.
Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in Avionics Engineering Technology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She also has experience as a small business owner, and over 15 years’ experience as an executive assistant in many different industries. She has her Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence (PACE) through the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP).
Michelle is based out of Wellington, Colorado.
Autumn Town
Autumn M. Town, M.Sc.
Staff Geologist / Field Technician
Autumn performs various project tasks for Aestus, including field data acquisition, data integration and analysis, 2D and 3D visualization, and project report development. Since joining Aestus in 2023, she has helped meet project objectives such as mapping stratigraphy, identifying areas of contamination, and characterizing preferential flow pathways at complex sites across the United States.
As an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University, Autumn utilized electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to evaluate the hydrogeologic effects of PFAS-containing firefighting foams. While completing her Master’s degree, also at Oklahoma State University, she focused primarily on sedimentology and stratigraphy as she studied the effects of depositional and diagenetic processes on porosity development in a tight gas sandstone reservoir.

Autumn is based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Morgan Love
Morgan Love, M.Sc.
Senior Project Geologist
Morgan has been a part of the Aestus team since 2012. She supports all aspects of data integration for Aestus in 2D and 3D space, including modeling of geophysical, geochemical, and geologic data. She also performs geophysical data processing and develops quality control and automation protocols to ensure data integrity.

Prior to Aestus, Morgan used her environmental geology undergraduate degree working for a water resource company, a geosciences software company, and a seismic data acquisition company. She holds a Master's Degree in Computer Information Systems.

Morgan is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Grant Eastman
Grant Eastman
Equipment Manager / Field Technician
Grant maintains all our equipment and vehicles at a firehouse ready status in order for the field team to be ready to mobilize at moment’s notice. He also troubleshoots any technical issues that come up as well as being a member of the field team.

Grant graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Watershed Science. After graduating he completed 8 years of military service with the Colorado Army National Guard, including two deployments to the middle east. Before joining Aestus, he was a senior technician building custom automation equipment and wire harness mockups for aerospace companies.

Grant is based out of Milliken, Colorado.
Samantha Frandsen
Samantha Frandsen, M.Sc, P.Gp.
Hydrogeophysicist / Project Manager
Since joining Aestus in 2018, Samantha has performed all aspects of the Aestus project lifecycle, including acquisition field work, processing of geophysical data, data integration, 3D visualization, and reporting. As project manager, she oversees a variety of projects completed at complex sites across the United States and strives to help our clients efficiently leverage Aestus’ high-resolution GeoTrax Survey™ data to improve understanding of subsurface conditions.

Prior to her time with Aestus, she earned her Bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in Physics from the University of Richmond and taught high school physics as a Teach for America corps member. She then completed her Master’s degree (Distinction) in Exploration Geophysics at the University of Leeds in the UK. For her thesis, she utilized several different geophysical techniques to characterize the subsurface remains of a former gasworks facility for which she was awarded the GETECH award for best overall performance in the Independent Project and the Association for Industrial Archaeology’s Dissertation Award.

When she’s not investigating what’s below the ground, Samantha enjoys exploring all the above-ground fun her Stateline (South Lake Tahoe), NV home has to offer via trail running, mountain biking, and snowboarding.

Samantha is based out of Stateline, Nevada.
Michael McNair
Michael McNair
Project Geologist / Field Team Leader
Michael has worked on a variety of project types using Aestus’ electrical hydrogeology techniques to help Aestus’ clients succeed relative to characterization of contaminated sites, evaluating geohazards, municipal water well exploration, and monitoring subsurface changes over time. Michael currently manages Aestus’ field operations to collect high quality subsurface electrical imagery (GeoTrax Survey™) at rural, urban, and industrial sites with complex logistics. When not in the field, Michael is a key member of Aestus’ reporting team and leads or assists with 2D/3D data integration, QC, data interpretation, and reporting.

Michael previously worked at an environmental consulting firm in Dallas, Texas, where he performed soil/groundwater investigations in the field and subsequently developed reports. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Baylor University.

Michael is based out of Orlando, Florida.
Todd Halihan
Todd Halihan, Ph.D., P.Gp.
CTO/Data Interpretation Lead
Todd’s focus at Aestus centers on subsurface characterization using electrical hydrogeology and sustainable water supply. He is also a professor and the Sun Company Clyde Wheeler Chair in Hydrogeology at Oklahoma State University. He was the National Ground Water Association’s 2018 McEllhiney Lecturer and he is a founding member of the NGWAU program for groundwater outreach and education.

Dr. Halihan is the recipient of the American Institute of Hydrology’s C.V. Theis Award winner. He is also a professional geophysicist (CA), professional driller (OK) and a PADI divemaster.

Todd is based out of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Stuart McDonald
Stuart W. McDonald, P.E.
CEO/Project Executive/Contracting
Stuart has dedicated over 20 years of his career overseeing the development of Aestus with the goal of empowering clients worldwide to gain more certainty in subsurface issues to make better technical decisions and save time and money on their projects. He has been involved in managing hundreds of projects for Aestus in the USA, Europe, Asia, and South America.

Stuart spent the first decade of his career as an environmental consultant primarily with Canonie Environmental and Harding Lawson Associates and gained experience performing cradle to grave site characterization and remediation work on high profile Superfund and other projects. This experience was the genesis of founding Aestus in 2001 as it became clear that the environmental industry needed more data density and more certainty for optimal decision-making on projects.

Stuart is based out of Loveland, Colorado.