Randolph Yost jack-up rig departs Cook Inlet
After more than a year docked at OSK Dock in Nikiski, the Randolf Yost jack-up rig left Cook Inlet in October. The Falcon heavy lift vessel moved the Randolf Yost out of Kachemak Bay October 25th, more than six years after Furie Operating Alaska moved it into Cook Inlet. The rig was used primarily in the Kitchen Lights Unit.
The Randolph Yost arrived from Singapore and raised concerns about the potential for invasive species to become established in Kachemak Bay. However, the species that did arrive with the rig were not well suited for survival in Alaska’s colder waters. When Hex LLC acquired Furie’s assets in a 2020 bankruptcy proceeding, Hex CEO John Hendrix declined to continue the company’s contract with Randolf Yost, prompting its sale to Shelf Drilling. The departure of the Randolph Yost leaves the Spartan-151 as the lone jack-up rig operating in Cook Inlet.