CODY (AP) - A state review of a gas well blowout last August near Clark found that operator Windsor Energy and its engineering consultant acted properly following the incident, but more testing of potential water contamination is needed.

In his review of the companies' actions following the blowout, Mark Thiesse, state Department of Environmental Quality groundwater specialist, found that Windsor and environmental engineering firm Terracon provided a good summary of activities and met the investigative goals required following the incident.

The agency concurred with all of the recommendations of an environmental report compiled by Terracon for Windsor.

The blowout contaminated the area immediately surrounding the well with drilling fluid and gas condensate, a hydrocarbon produced when natural gas is depressurized.

Initial response efforts were aimed at assessing the extent of potential contamination and were made without a formal work plan, which will be required by the end of the month as part of future cleanup efforts, Thiesse wrote.

During a public meeting last month, some residents asked for more water tests, including drilling additional monitoring wells.

The DEQ has required that more monitoring wells be drilled, with quarterly testing of those wells, along with private water wells closest to the blowout site.

No time frame has been given for when such wells would be drilled.

The agency and Windsor must "work out a process where the wells can be installed, with an opportunity for the public to provide input on the well installation and testing, as soon as possible," Thiesse concluded.

Results from 11 monitoring wells showed contamination in 10, though Thiesse said some of the pollution was most likely the result of two previous oil and gas operations at the same site.

Soil contamination was present "at relatively low levels," as deep as 40 feet below the surface, Thiesse wrote. Further testing will determine what soil cleanup efforts will be required.

The Aug. 11 blowout prompted the evacuation of about a dozen people until the well was capped three days later.