ANS crude stays close to 700,000 bpd

Alaska North Slope crude oil production was relatively flat in November, staying above the 700,000 barrel-per-day level most of the month and averaging 727,517 bpd for the month, 0.9 percent above the 720,999 bpd October average.

Production was up 16.8 percent at the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Lisburne field, averaging 34,040 bpd vs. 29,144 bpd in October. Lisburne production includes Niakuk.

BP-operated Northstar averaged 36,712 bpd in November, up 6 percent from an October average of 34,644 bpd.

The BP-operated Endicott field (which includes Sag Delta, Eider and Badami production) averaged 48,369 bpd in November, up 3.2 percent from an October average of 46,853 bpd. Endicott currently includes some 33,000 bpd of Prudhoe Bay crude from Flow Station 2.

The Kuparuk River field, operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska, averaged 151,451 bpd in November, up 1.8 percent from an October average of 148,794 bpd. Kuparuk production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn and Meltwater.

BP-operated Prudhoe Bay was basically flat, averaging 302,247 bpd in November vs. 301,967 bpd in October. Prudhoe production includes Prudhoe Bay natural gas liquids, Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion, Polaris, 400-600 bpd from Lisburne and Point McIntyre.

Greater Prudhoe Bay (including Lisburne and the 33,000 bpd of Prudhoe oil currently coming through the Endicott line) averaged 369,287 bpd in November, up 1.4 percent from an October average of 364,111.

BP’s Milne Point field averaged 36,637 bpd in November, down 0.5 percent from an October average of 36,827 bpd. Milne Point production includes Schrader Bluff.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine field (including Fiord and Nanuq) averaged 118,061 bpd in November, down 3.8 percent from an October average of 122,770 bpd.

The average November temperature at Pump Station 1 was 13.8 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 22.4 degrees in October, and compared to a five-year average for November of 1.9 degrees.

Overall Cook Inlet production averaged 15,073 bpd in November, down marginally from an October average of 15,124 bpd.

—Kristen Nelson