North Slope production down marginally

Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 857,271 barrels per day in January, down marginally (0.3 percent) from a December average of 859,838 bpd.

BP Exploration (Alaska)’s Northstar field had the largest month-to-month production drop, down 10 percent. The field’s production averaged 49,462 bpd in January compared to 54,990 bpd in December. The Alaska Department of Revenue said an engine was replaced in a gas compressor at the field, slowing production Jan. 17-27. The field averaged more than 55,000 bpd most days during the first half of the month. During the second half of the month the field never broke the 50,000-bpd mark, and production fell as low as 40,575 bpd Jan. 27.

Production at BP’s Milne Point field, which includes Schrader Bluff production, averaged 42,165 bpd in January, down 5.6 percent from a December average of 44,659 bpd.

The BP-operated Endicott field averaged 20,726 bpd in January, down 1.6 percent from a December average of 21,072. Endicott production includes Sag River, Eider and Badami.

The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine field averaged 127,880 bpd in January, down 1.6 percent from a December average of 129,910. Revenue said Alpine production slowed Jan. 3-4 for minor pipeline repairs. Production from the field averaged more than 130,000 bpd Jan. 1-2, dropped to 112,818 barrels Jan. 3, 101,179 barrels Jan. 4 and 119,039 barrels Jan. 5 before climbing back up into the 130,000-bpd range Jan. 6.

Lisburne production up 3.2 percent

Production from BP-operated Prudhoe Bay averaged 406,578 bpd in January, up 1.4 percent from a December average of 400,965 bpd. Prudhoe Bay production includes the western Prudhoe satellites: Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion.

ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk averaged 170,336 bpd in January, up 0.6 percent from 169,348 bpd in December. Kuparuk production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm.

The average January temperature at Pump Station 1 on the North Slope averaged minus 12.3 degrees Fahrenheit in January, compared to a three-year average of minus 8.1 degrees F and a December temperature averaging minus 2.5 degrees F.

Production in Cook Inlet averaged 17,816 bpd in January, down 5.7 percent from a December average of 18,893 bpd.

—Kristen Nelson