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Production bounces back from January February ANS crude oil averages 634,684 bpd, up 35% from the prior month when the trans-Alaska oil pipeline was down twice Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope production averaged 634,684 barrels per day in February after a precipitous 30.36 percent December-to-January drop caused by two shutdowns of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
January daily production numbers only hit zero at one field, Northstar, but were down across the North Slope as Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the operator of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, dealt with a leak at Pump Station No. 1 and production had to be prorated for storage or, in some cases, reinjected under special permission from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
February volumes were up 34.56 percent from a January average of 471,666 bpd, and while the February average wasn’t quite back up to a December average of 641,518 bpd, Alaska Department of Revenue numbers show that all major North Slope facilities had steady — and consistent — flows of oil in February.
Prudhoe Bay up 40 percent The giant Prudhoe Bay field, operated by BP Exploration (Alaska), averaged 327,924 bpd in February, up 40.58 percent from a January average of 233,259 bpd. Prudhoe production includes satellites at Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion and Polaris.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 132,814 bpd in February, up 30.21 percent from a January average of 101,999 bpd. Kuparuk includes production from satellites at Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater, West Sak and Oooguruk. Oooguruk, a Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska-operated field, produces through Kuparuk. Oooguruk averaged 7,009 bpd in January, the most recent date for which figures on its production are available from AOGCC.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine field, third largest on the North Slope, averaged 82,641 bpd in February, up 17.46 percent from a January average of 70,358 bpd. Alpine production includes satellites at Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
Lisburne up 41 percent BP-operated Lisburne, part of greater Prudhoe Bay, averaged 33,672 bpd in February, up 41.34 percent from a January average of 23,824 bpd. Lisburne includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk.
The BP-operated Milne Point field averaged 25,489 bpd in February, up 41.61 percent from a January average of 17,999 bpd. Milne Point includes production from Sag River and Schrader Bluff.
The BP-operated Northstar field averaged 18,124 bpd in February, up 31.85 percent from a January average of 13,746 bpd.
And the BP-operated Endicott field averaged 14,020 bpd in February, up 33.77 percent from a January average of 10,481 bpd. Endicott includes production from Sag Delta and Eider, and from the Badami field, where production was restarted in November after a long shutdown. Badami volumes, available most recently for January from AOGCC, show an average production of 1,310 bpd.
Eni brought Nikaitchuq online in late January, and AOGCC shows total January production for the field of 700 barrels; Revenue is not able to break out production for Nikaitchuq, so like Oooguruk, volumes will be available only on a month delay basis from AOGCC, which does break out production by field.
The temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the North Slope averaged minus 5.32 degrees Fahrenheit in February.
Production in Cook Inlet averaged 10,481 bpd in February, up 1.73 percent from a January average of 10,303 bpd.
Except where noted, volumes are from the Alaska Department of Revenue’s Tax Division, which tracks oil production by major production centers and provides daily production and monthly averages.
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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