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Month-over-month ANS crude steady in May
Northstar, Milne, Prudhoe have largest decreases from April; percentage gains led by increases at Badami, Oooguruk, Nikaitchuq Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 515,464 barrels per day in May, up 0.4 percent, 1,938 bpd, from an April average of 513,257 bpd, and down 2.2 percent from a May 2017 average of 527,055 bpd.
Production data is from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which provides volumes by well on a month-delay basis.
The largest month-over-month percentage increase was at Badami, operated by Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. subsidiary Savant Alaska, which went from 698 bpd in April up 203 percent, a difference of 1,419 bpd, to a May average of 2,117 bpd (and up 144.7 percent from a May 2017 average of 865 bpd).
What happened between April and May this year? The company put the B1-07, its Starfish exploration well, on line in mid-May. Carl Giesler, Glacier CEO, told Petroleum News in early June that the well had tested at production rates of more than 2,500 bpd.
Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk also had healthy month-over-month percentage increases.
The Eni-operated Nikaitchuq field averaged 19,441 bpd in May, up 42.4 percent, 5,789 bpd, from an April average of 13,652 bpd and up 10.3 percent from a May 2017 average of 17,628 bpd, while the Caelus Alaska-operated Oooguruk field averaged 12,680 bpd in May, up 56.9 percent, 4,597 bpd, from an April average of 8,083 bpd and up 0.4 percent from a May 2017 average of 12,635 bpd.
Point Thomson, operated by ExxonMobil Production Co., averaged 5,734 bpd from its single well in May, up 8.4 percent, 443 bpd, from an April average of 5,291 bpd, and produced for all 31 days of the month, in contrast to April when the well was only online for 18 days. Production at the field was up 29.8 percent from a May 2017 average of 4,419 bpd.
Endicott, operated by Hilcorp Alaska, averaged 6,557 bpd in May, up 4.2 percent, 262 bpd, from an April average of 6,295 bpd, and down 16.2 percent from a May 2017 average of 7,826 bpd.
Production from the ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field held steady, averaging 113,057 bpd in May, up just 10 bpd from an April average of 113,047 bpd and up 3.3 percent from a May 2017 average of 109,462 bpd. In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Meltwater, Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.
Northstar, Prudhoe, Milne, Colville all down The Hilcorp-operated Northstar field had the largest month-over-month percentage decline, down 5.3 percent, averaging 8,768 bpd in May, down 489 bpd from an April average of 9,257 bpd. The field, however, was up 17.5 percent from a May 2017 average of 7,461 bpd.
Milne Point, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 21,064 bpd in May, down 3.2 percent, 706 bpd, from an April average of 21,770 bpd and up 7.1 percent from a May 2017 average of 19,667 bpd.
The BP-operated Prudhoe Bay field, the Slope’s largest, averaged 259,387 bpd, down 3.2 percent, 8,528 bpd, from an April average of 267,915 bpd and down 10 percent from a May 2017 average of 280,900 bpd. In addition to the main Prudhoe oil pool, Prudhoe Bay production includes Aurora, Borealis, Lisburne, Midnight Sun, Niakuk, Polaris, Point McIntyre, Put River, Raven and Schrader Bluff.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Colville River field averaged 66,390 bpd in May, down 1.3 percent, 859 bpd, from an April average of 67,249 bpd and up 0.3 percent from a May 2017 average of 66,192 bpd. In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville production includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
Cook Inlet Cook Inlet production averaged 15,952 bpd in May, down 0.9 percent, 143 bpd, from an April average of 16,095 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek field averaged 86 bpd, down 4.4 percent from an April average of 90 bpd.
Granite Point, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 2,869 bpd in May, up 0.7 percent, 21 bpd, from an April average of 2,848 bpd.
Hansen field, the Cosmopolitan project, operated by BlueCrest, averaged 841 bpd in May, up 9.9 percent, 76 bpd, from an April average of 765 bpd.
Hilcorp’s McArthur River field, Cook Inlet’s largest, averaged 5,246 bpd in May, down 0.7 percent, 37 bpd, from an April average of 5,283 bpd.
Middle Ground Shoal, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 1,515 bpd in May, up 2.2 percent, 32 bpd, from an April average of 1,483 bpd.
Redoubt Shoal, operated by Glacier Oil and Gas subsidiary Cook Inlet Energy, averaged 1,204 bpd, down 11.9 percent, 163 bpd, from an April average of 1,367 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Swanson River field averaged 1,560 bpd, up 3.7 percent, 55 bpd, from an April average of 1,505 bpd.
Trading Bay, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 1,731 bpd, down 1.3 percent, 23 bpd, from an April average of 1,754 bpd.
Glacier’s West McArthur River averaged 900 bpd, down 10 percent, 100 bpd, from an April average of 1,000 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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