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November ANS crude production down 2%
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 631,537 barrels per day in November, down 1.9 percent from an October average of 644,022 bpd.
Department of Revenue data for November show the largest percentage decline at the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Northstar field, a drop of 9.2 percent. Production averaged 15,434 bpd in November, compared to 16,996 bpd in October. Rates at the field were lower earlier in the month, ranging from some 9,400 barrels Nov. 1 to more than 12,000 bpd through Nov. 11, and higher the rest of the month, peaking at 19,939 barrels Nov. 30.
The Kuparuk River field, operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska, had the largest month-over-month decline by volume, averaging 127,060 bpd in November, a drop of almost 12,000 barrels from an October average of 138,989 bpd — down 8.6 percent.
Kuparuk production includes satellite production from Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and West Sak, as well as production from Pioneer Natural Resources’ Oooguruk field. Detailed production figures from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission show that for October, Oooguruk production was about 10,700 bpd.
Production from the BP-operated Prudhoe Bay field averaged 326,630 bpd in November, a 1.2 percent drop from an October average of 330,582 bpd. Prudhoe production includes volumes from satellites at Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris.
Production from the ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine field also declined, averaging 89,952 bpd in November, a drop of 0.9 percent from an October average of 90,762 bpd. Alpine production includes satellites at Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
Endicott up from October The largest month-over-month increase, both by percentage and in barrels, was at the BP-operated Endicott field, which averaged 13,665 bpd in November, up 24.6 percent from an October average of 10,965 bpd. Endicott production varied considerably in October, from a low of 2,709 barrels to a high of 12,450 barrels; in November the range was from a low of 7,337 barrels to a high of 15,629 barrels.
The biggest change from October to November is that Savant Resources put Badami back into production Nov. 5, and Badami production is combined with Endicott in Department of Revenue figures. AOGCC does show Badami production separately, but the commission’s data for November isn’t available yet.
On Nov. 5, however, Endicott production was 15,101 barrels, up from 13,071 barrels the previous day and the month-to-month increase in production was 2,700 barrels.
Production at the BP-operated Lisburne field averaged 31,837 bpd in November, up 6.2 percent from an October average of 29,993 bpd. Lisburne includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk.
BP’s Milne Point field averaged 26,959 bpd in November, up 4.8 percent from an October average of 25,735 bpd.
The temperature at Pump Station 1 on the North Slope averaged 15 degrees Fahrenheit in November, compared to 24.8 F in October.
Cook Inlet production averaged 10,006 bpd in November, down 1.6 percent from an October average of 10,167 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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