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ANS September production up 11% from August
Largest month-over-month ANS crude increase at Alpine as field comes back after summer maintenance downtime; Cook Inlet down 1% Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 503,996 barrels per day in September, up 10.9 percent, 44,048 bpd, from an August average of 454,602 bpd but down 1.7 percent from a September 2017 average of 512,910 bpd.
The largest month-over-month increase was at the ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Colville River field, which had its first full month of production in September after being down four weeks over July and August for scheduled maintenance. The field averaged 67,565 bpd in September, up 62.6 percent, 26,000 bpd, from an August average of 41,565 bpd, and up 5.4 percent from a September 2017 average of 64,111 bpd.
In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville production includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
Production data is from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which provides volumes by field and well on a month-delay basis.
Other ANS fields with increases Four other North Slope fields also had month-over-month production increases.
The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Northstar field averaged 10,862 bpd in September, up 15 percent, 1,415 bpd, from an August average of 9,447 bpd and up 21 percent from a September 2017 average of 8,977 bpd. Northstar volumes include natural gas liquids.
The BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay field, the Slope’s largest, averaged 261,301 bpd in September, up 11.2 percent, 26,315 bpd, from an August average of 234,986 bpd, but down 5.7 percent from a September 2017 average of 277,128 bpd.
In addition to Prudhoe oil, production from the Prudhoe Bay field includes: Aurora, Borealis, Lisburne, Midnight Sun, Niakuk, Polaris, Point McIntyre, Put River, Raven and Schrader Bluff; Prudhoe volumes include NGLs.
The Caelus Alaska-operated Oooguruk field averaged 10,376 bpd in September, up 7 percent, 677 bpd, from an August average of 9,699 bpd, but down 1.1 percent from a September 2017 average of 10,493 bpd.
Badami, operated by Glacier Oil & Gas subsidiary Savant Alaska, averaged 1,799 bpd in September, up 5.3 percent, 91 bpd, from an August average of 1,708 bpd, and up 116 percent from a September 2017 average of 833 bpd.
Month-over-month decreases Four North Slope fields had month-over-month production decreases.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 107,076 bpd in September, down 2.1 percent, 2,331 bpd, from an August average of 109,407 bpd, but up 1 percent from a September 2017 average of 105,966 bpd.
In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Meltwater, Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.
The Hilcorp-operated Endicott field averaged 7,331 bpd in September, down 2.5 percent, 186 bpd, from an August average of 7,517, but up 26.4 percent from a September 2017 average of 5,801 bpd. Endicott volumes include NGLs.
The ExxonMobil Production-operated Point Thomson field averaged 93 bpd in September, down 3.1 percent, 3 bpd, from an August average of 96 bpd, but down 94.4 percent from a September 2017 average of 1,670 bpd. Point Thomson has effectively been down for maintenance since early June, when the field operated for only nine days. In July, August and September AOGCC data show the field operating only one day each month.
The Hilcorp-operated Milne Point field averaged 21,295 bpd in September, down 4 percent, 877 bpd, from an August average of 22,172 bpd, but up 17.9 percent from a September 2017 average of 18,063 bpd.
The Eni-operated Nikaitchuq field averaged 16,253 bpd in September, down 9.4 percent, 1,680 bpd, from an August average of 17,933 bpd, and down 18.2 percent from a September 2017 average of 19,867 bpd.
Cook Inlet Cook Inlet production averaged 14,777 bpd in September, down 1 percent, 152 bpd, from an August average of 14,929 bpd and down 7.1 percent from a September 2017 average of 15,899 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek field, Cook Inlet’s smallest, averaged 75 bpd in September, up 8.1 percent, 6 bpd, from an August average of 69 bpd, but down 96.5 percent from a September 2017 average of 143 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Granite Point field averaged 2,763 bpd in September, up 1.2 percent, 33 bpd, from an August average of 2,730, and up 18.1 percent from a September 2017 average of 2,339 bpd.
BlueCrest Alaska Operating’s Hansen field, the Cosmopolitan project, Cook Inlet’s newest producing field, averaged 1,197 bpd in September, up 74.5 percent, 511 bpd, from an August average of 686 bpd, and up 74.5 percent from a September 2017 average of 316 bpd. The company is drilling and bringing on additional wells.
Hilcorp’s McArthur River field, Cook Inlet’s largest, averaged 4,671 bpd in September, down 6.3 percent, 313 bpd, from an August average of 4,984 bpd and down 18 percent from a September 2017 average of 5,699.
Middle Ground Shoal, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 1,494 bpd in September, down 3.9 percent, 61 bpd, from an August average of 1,555 bpd, but up 125.2 percent from a September 2017 average of 652 bpd.
Redoubt Shoal, operated by Glacier subsidiary Cook Inlet Energy, averaged 1,201 bpd in September, down 5.5 percent, 70 bpd, from an August average of 1,271 bpd and down 29.5 percent from a September 2017 average of 1,702 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Swanson River field averaged 1,221 bpd in September, down 8.6 percent, 114 bpd, from an August average of 1,335 bpd and down 34 percent from a September 2017 average of 1,848 bpd.
Trading Bay, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 1,388 bpd in September, down 2.1 percent, 29 bpd, from an August average of 1,417 and down 30.3 percent from a September 2017 average of 1,990 bpd.
West McArthur River, operated by Glacier’s Cook Inlet Energy, averaged 769 bpd in September, down 12.8 percent, 113 bpd, from an August average of 882 bpd and down 36.5 percent from a September 2017 average of 1,210 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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