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January production down due to weather Valdez Marine Terminal weather delayed loading Jan. 1-7; 3.7 percent production drop, January-over-December, to 703,318 bpd Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Driven by weather delays at the Valdez Marine Terminal early in the month, January Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 703,318 barrels per day for the month, down 3.7 percent from a December average of 729,948 bpd. The Alaska Department of Revenue said weather in Valdez delayed tanker loadings Jan. 1-7.
There is a limitation on crude oil storage in Valdez, and weather delays, such as high winds in Valdez that prevent laying of boom around tankers, a requirement for loading, can result in cutbacks in North Slope production.
Inventories at Valdez topped 6 million barrels three days of the first seven in the month, and stayed above 5 million barrels the first nine days of the month.
ANS production bottomed at 457,192 bpd Jan. 5 — the peak day for Valdez Marine Terminal inventory levels — and peaked at 801,288 bpd Jan. 8. Production levels for the rest of the month ran mostly in the mid-700,000 bpd range.
Only increase at Endicott Only one field, Endicott, operated by BP Exploration (Alaska) had a higher daily production rate in January than December, averaging 16,725 bpd in January, up 17 percent from a December average of 14,287 bpd. Endicott production includes the Sag Delta and Eider oil pools. BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said Endicott production reflected normal field variability.
The BP-operated Northstar field had the highest percentage decline, dropping 12 percent from a December average of 26,909 bpd to an average of 23,704 bpd in January.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine field averaged 104,283 bpd in January, down 5.1 percent from a January average of 109,923 bpd. Alpine includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
The BP-operated Prudhoe Bay field averaged 344,391 bpd in January, down 4.7 percent from a December average of 361,262 bpd. Prudhoe production includes satellite production from Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris.
The BP-operated Lisburne field averaged 35,140 bpd in January, down 2.8 percent from a December average of 36,156 bpd. Lisburne production includes Niakuk and Point McIntyre.
BP’s Milne Point field averaged 29,687 bpd in January, down 1.9 percent from a December average of 30,265 bpd. Milne Point production includes Sag River and Schrader Bluff.
Oooguruk at more than 6,000 bpd The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 149,388 bpd in January, down 1.2 percent from a December average of 151,146 bpd. Kuparuk production includes Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and West Sak, and the Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska-operated Oooguruk field. December production figures from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the most recent available on a pool-by-pool basis, show Oooguruk production averaging 6,265 bpd.
The temperature at Pump Station 1 of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline on the North Slope averaged minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit in January, compared to an average minus 0.05 degrees F in December.
Cook Inlet crude oil production averaged 12,200 bpd in January, down 4.5 percent from a December average of 12,771 bpd.
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