Furie Operating Alaska LLC, the only Alaska-owned natural gas producer in the state, has renamed its offshore drilling platform in Cook Inlet as it begins a new phase of exploration. And there’s a story behind the name.
The platform, formerly known as “Julius,” is now called the Allegra Leigh Platform, named after the first granddaughter of company owners John and Candace Hendrix.
The platform is located in the Kitchen Lights Unit, a nearly 83,400-acre lease area between Tyonek and Nikiski. Furie has mobilized the Spartan 151 jack-up rig to the site and is actively drilling new wells as part of its plan to increase in-state natural gas production.
The drilling program is part of Furie’s ongoing efforts to secure new sources of natural gas for Southcentral Alaska, which faces increasing pressure on supply due to maturing fields and rising demand.
As utilities and policymakers have started to be concerned about long-term energy reliability in the Railbelt region, Furie’s investment in local production is a notable achievement.
The Kitchen Lights Unit has long been seen as a key area for potential new development, and the company’s current campaign represents one of the most active efforts underway in Cook Inlet.
Furie was acquired by the Homer-based Hendrix family in 2020 after the previous operator declared bankruptcy. Since then, the company has reestablished operations and focused on reinvigorating gas exploration and production from existing Cook Inlet infrastructure.
The naming of the platform adds a personal touch to the project, with a focus on future generations of Alaskans.
What a beautiful site in the midst of so much opposition to growth and development.
Nice. Allegra, followed by the gentle, single-syllable Leigh, mirrors the balanced, euphonic quality of “cellar door,” where soft consonants and rounded vowels blend effortlessly.
Congratulations to John and Candace. And my sincere thanks for their efforts to provide the much-needed gas to hundreds of thousands of Alaskan residents.
Is this the old Monopod platform?
No this one is much newer than Monopd