ANS crude production nudges up in March
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Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope crude oil production nudged up in March, averaging 678,810 barrels per day, an increase of 1.29 percent (an average of 8,666 bpd) over a February average of 670,144 bpd.
The largest per-barrel increase was at the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay field, up an average of 6,054 bpd to 352,571 bpd, an increase of 1.75 percent over a February average of 346,517 bpd. Prudhoe Bay production includes satellites at Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris.
The largest month-over-month percent increase was 12.13 percent at the BP-operated Lisburne field, which averaged 33,539 bpd in March, up 3,629 bpd from a February average of 29,910 bpd. Lisburne, part of greater Prudhoe Bay, includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk.
BP’s Milne Point was up 8.47 percent, averaging 28,781 bpd in March compared to 26,534 bpd in February, a difference of an average 2,247 bpd. Milne Point production includes Sag River and Schrader Bluff.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine field averaged 90,480 bpd in March, up 1.46 percent (1,301 bpd) from an average of 89,179 bpd in February. Alpine includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
Production down at other fields Other North Slope fields had month-over-month drops in production.
The BP-operated Northstar field averaged 20,298 bpd in March, down 8.53 percent (1,892 bpd) from February production of 22,190 bpd.
The BP-operated Endicott field averaged 13,201 bpd in March, down 5.02 percent (698 bpd) from a February average of 13,899 bpd.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk field averaged 139,940 bpd in March, down 1.39 percent (1,975 bpd) from a February average of 141,915 bpd. Kuparuk includes satellite production from Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and West Sak, as well as production from the Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska-operated Oooguruk field. The most recent production figures for Oooguruk (from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission) are for February, when the field averaged 9,453 bpd.
The average March temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the North Slope was minus 9.39 degrees F.
Cook Inlet production averaged 8,986 bpd in March, down 17.54 percent from a February average of 10,897 bpd.
ANS crude oil production peaked in 1988 at 2.1 million bpd; Cook Inlet crude oil production peaked in 1970 at more than 227,000 bpd.
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