John Hendrix was stressed on Thursday. He temporarily shut down a well that produces 50% of his company’s gas from Cook Inlet for a mandatory state test. The well produces large quantities of water and Hendrix didn’t know if gas would flow again.
“We were biting our nails there on that one,” he said.
The safety-valve test was performed satisfactorily, said Brett Huber, chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Pressure had returned to the well by Friday and Hendrix said he could keep producing gas. Another safety test has been scheduled in October, which could see another round of nail biting.
The well test was the latest challenge facing Hendrix, the owner and operator of HEX Cook Inlet LLC, a privately-owned Alaska independent that leases the massive Kitchen Lights Unit near Nikiski. In April,…
