content: <PAGE>
  
  
                             UNITED STATES SEC USE ONLY
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      RULE 144
  
                       NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF SECURITIES
               PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1(a) NAME OF ISSUER (Please type or print) (b) IRS IDENT. NO. (c) SEC FILE NO.
       Layne Christensen Company                 480920712       0-20578
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1(d) ADDRESS OF ISSUER  STREET  CITY   STATE   ZIP CODE  (e)TELEPHONE NO.
  1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway                               (913) 362-0510
  Mission Woods, Kansas  66205
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2(a) NAME OF PERSON FOR WHOSE  (b) SOCIAL SECURITY    (c) RELATIONSHIP
       ACCOUNT THE SECURITIES        NO. OR IRS IDENT.      TO ISSUER
       ARE TO BE SOLD                NO.
  
       Obus, Nelson                                         Director
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (d) ADDRESS        STREET              CITY                ZIP CODE
                                  450 Seventh Ave
                                New York, NY, 10123
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  INSTRUCTION: The person filing this notice should contact the issuer to obtain
  the I.R.S. Identification Number and the SEC File Number.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                                           SEC USE
  3(a)           (b)                       ONLY     (c)           (d)          (e)                (f)                (g)
  ------------   ---------------------     -------  ---------     ---------    ----------------   ----------------   -----------------
  Title of the   Name and Address of       Broker-  Number of     Aggregate    Number of Shares   Approximate        Name of Each
  Class of       Each Broker Through       Dealer   Shares or     Market       or Other Units     Date of Sale       Securities
  Securities     Whome the Securities      File     Other Units   Value        Outstanding        (See instr. 3(f))  Exchange
  to be Sold     are to be Offered         Number   to be Sold    (See instr.  (See instr. 3(e))  (MO. DAY YR.)      (See instr. 3(g))
                 or Each Market                     (See instr.   3(d))
                 Maker who is                       3(c))
                 Aquiring the
                 Securities
  <S>            <C>                       <C>      <C>           <C>           <C>               <C>                <C>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Stock   Knight Capital                     33,000        799,590       12853187          09/15/05           NASD
                 Group, Inc.
                 545 Washington
                 Blvd.
                 Jersey City, NJ 07310
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  </TABLE>
  <PAGE>
                          TABLE I - SECURITIES TO BE SOLD
  
  Furnish the following information with respect to the acquisition of the
  securities to be sold and with respect to the payment of all or any part of the
  purchase price or other consideration therefor:
  
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                                                 Name of Person
                                                 from Whom Acquired
  Title of   Date You  Nature of                 (If gift, also give date   Amount of             Date of
  the Class  Acquired  Acquisition Transaction   donor acquired)            Securities Acquired   Payment     Nature of Payment
  <S>        <C>       <C>                       <C>                        <C>                   <C>         <C>
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    03/03/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       26,456                03/03/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    05/08/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       2,000                 05/08/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    05/12/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       4,544                 05/12/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  </TABLE>
                TABLE II - SECURITIES SOLD DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS
  Furnish the following information as to all securities of the issuer sold during
  the past 3 months by the person for whose account the securities are to be sold.
  
  <TABLE>
  <S>                                <C>                         <C>             <C>           <C>
                                                                                 Amount of     Gross
  Name and Address of Seller         Title of Securities Sold    Date of Sale    Securities    Proceeds
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Wynnefield Partners Small
    Cap Value, L.P. (1)
    450 Seventh Avenue
    New York, New York 10123         Common Stock                9/12/05         34,300        $881,651.44
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  </TABLE>
  
  REMARKS: (1) Mr. Obus is a co-managing member of Wynnefield Capital Management,
               LLC which is the sole general partner of Wynnefield Partners Small
               Cap Value, L.P.
  
  INSTRUCTIONS:
  
  See the definition of "person" in paragraph (a) of Rule 144. Information is to
  be given not only as to the person for whose account the securities are to be
  sold but also as to sales by all persons whose sales are required by paragraph
  (e) of Rule 144 to be aggregated with sales for the account of the person filing
  this notice.
  
  ATTENTION:
  
  The person for whose account the securities to which this notice relates are to
  sold hereby represents by signing this notice that he does not know any material
  adverse information in regard to the current and prospective operations of the
  Issuer of the securities to be sold which have not been publicly disclosed.
  
  Date: 09/12/2005                      /s/ Nelson Obus
                                        Name:  Nelson Obus
                                        Title: Director
  
  
  
  The notice shall be signed by the person for whose account the securities are to
  be sold. At least one copy of the notice shall be manually signed. Any copies
  not manually signed shall bear typed or printed signatures.
  
  ATTENTION: Intentional misstatements or omission of facts constitute Federal
  Criminal Violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).
metadata_documents: [{"type": "144", "sequence": "1", "filename": "file001.txt", "description": "FORM 144", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7362}]
text: UNITED STATES SEC USE ONLY
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                      RULE 144
  
                       NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF SECURITIES
               PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1(a) NAME OF ISSUER (Please type or print) (b) IRS IDENT. NO. (c) SEC FILE NO.
       Layne Christensen Company                 480920712       0-20578
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1(d) ADDRESS OF ISSUER  STREET  CITY   STATE   ZIP CODE  (e)TELEPHONE NO.
  1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway                               (913) 362-0510
  Mission Woods, Kansas  66205
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2(a) NAME OF PERSON FOR WHOSE  (b) SOCIAL SECURITY    (c) RELATIONSHIP
       ACCOUNT THE SECURITIES        NO. OR IRS IDENT.      TO ISSUER
       ARE TO BE SOLD                NO.
  
       Obus, Nelson                                         Director
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (d) ADDRESS        STREET              CITY                ZIP CODE
                                  450 Seventh Ave
                                New York, NY, 10123
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  INSTRUCTION: The person filing this notice should contact the issuer to obtain
  the I.R.S. Identification Number and the SEC File Number.
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  SEC USE
  3(a)           (b)                       ONLY     (c)           (d)          (e)                (f)                (g)
  ------------   ---------------------     -------  ---------     ---------    ----------------   ----------------   -----------------
  Title of the   Name and Address of       Broker-  Number of     Aggregate    Number of Shares   Approximate        Name of Each
  Class of       Each Broker Through       Dealer   Shares or     Market       or Other Units     Date of Sale       Securities
  Securities     Whome the Securities      File     Other Units   Value        Outstanding        (See instr. 3(f))  Exchange
  to be Sold     are to be Offered         Number   to be Sold    (See instr.  (See instr. 3(e))  (MO. DAY YR.)      (See instr. 3(g))
                 or Each Market                     (See instr.   3(d))
                 Maker who is                       3(c))
                 Aquiring the
                 Securities
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Stock   Knight Capital                     33,000        799,590       12853187          09/15/05           NASD
                 Group, Inc.
                 545 Washington
                 Blvd.
                 Jersey City, NJ 07310
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TABLE I - SECURITIES TO BE SOLD
  
  Furnish the following information with respect to the acquisition of the
  securities to be sold and with respect to the payment of all or any part of the
  purchase price or other consideration therefor:
  Name of Person
                                                 from Whom Acquired
  Title of   Date You  Nature of                 (If gift, also give date   Amount of             Date of
  the Class  Acquired  Acquisition Transaction   donor acquired)            Securities Acquired   Payment     Nature of Payment
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    03/03/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       26,456                03/03/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    05/08/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       2,000                 05/08/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common    05/12/00  Open Market Purchase      Open Market Purchase       4,544                 05/12/00     Working Capital
  Stock
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TABLE II - SECURITIES SOLD DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS
  Furnish the following information as to all securities of the issuer sold during
  the past 3 months by the person for whose account the securities are to be sold.
  Amount of     Gross
  Name and Address of Seller         Title of Securities Sold    Date of Sale    Securities    Proceeds
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Wynnefield Partners Small
    Cap Value, L.P. (1)
    450 Seventh Avenue
    New York, New York 10123         Common Stock                9/12/05         34,300        $881,651.44
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  REMARKS: (1) Mr. Obus is a co-managing member of Wynnefield Capital Management,
               LLC which is the sole general partner of Wynnefield Partners Small
               Cap Value, L.P.
  
  INSTRUCTIONS:
  
  See the definition of "person" in paragraph (a) of Rule 144. Information is to
  be given not only as to the person for whose account the securities are to be
  sold but also as to sales by all persons whose sales are required by paragraph
  (e) of Rule 144 to be aggregated with sales for the account of the person filing
  this notice.
  
  ATTENTION:
  
  The person for whose account the securities to which this notice relates are to
  sold hereby represents by signing this notice that he does not know any material
  adverse information in regard to the current and prospective operations of the
  Issuer of the securities to be sold which have not been publicly disclosed.
  
  Date: 09/12/2005                      /s/ Nelson Obus
                                        Name:  Nelson Obus
                                        Title: Director
  
  The notice shall be signed by the person for whose account the securities are to
  be sold. At least one copy of the notice shall be manually signed. Any copies
  not manually signed shall bear typed or printed signatures.
  
  ATTENTION: Intentional misstatements or omission of facts constitute Federal
  Criminal Violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).