ANS November production up from October

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope crude oil production for November averaged 699,675 barrels per day, up 2 percent from an October average of 686,126 bpd. ANS crude oil production peaked in 1988 at some 2 million bpd.

There was a weather-related blip in mid-November when inventories at the Valdez Marine Terminal topped 6 million barrels for four days and production levels dropped below 700,000 bpd.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. spokesman Matt Carle told Petroleum News inclement weather triggered delays, including storms in the Gulf of Alaska as well as high seas and wind in Valdez which prevented loading of vessels for a period of time once they arrived.

Prudhoe Bay production averaged 360,195 bpd in November, up 3.8 percent from an October average of 347,155 bpd. Prudhoe, which includes production from satellites at Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris, is operated by BP Exploration (Alaska).

The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 144,617 bpd in November, down 0.4 percent from an October average of 145,254 bpd. Kuparuk includes production from Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and West Sak, as well as from the Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska-operated Oooguruk field. Production levels for Oooguruk are only available on a month delay; for October the field averaged 8,576 bpd.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine field averaged 95,213 bpd, up 0.2 percent from an October average of 95,022 bpd. Alpine production includes satellites Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.

Production from the BP-operated Lisburne field averaged 32,236 bpd in November, down 5.3 percent from an October average of 34,046 bpd. Lisburne production includes Point McIntyre and Niakuk.

BP’s Milne Point field averaged 29,427 bpd in November, up 0.4 percent from an October average of 29,323 bpd. Milne Point includes Schrader Bluff production.

The BP-operated Northstar field averaged 22,433 bpd in November, up 4.3 percent from an October average of 21,517 bpd.

The BP-operated Endicott field averaged 15,554 bpd in November, up 12.6 percent from an October average of 13,809 bpd.

The average temperature at Pump Station 1 on the North Slope was 0.3 degrees F in November, compared to an average of 29.9 F in October.

Cook Inlet averaged 9,403 bpd, up 3.2 percent from an October average of 9,109 bpd. Cook Inlet crude oil production peaked in 1970 at more than 227,000 bpd.