February ANS production down 1 percent

Alaska North Slope production was down 1.3 percent in February, driven by a 13 percent drop at BP Exploration (Alaska)’s Milne Point field, where planned gas compressor repair took place Feb. 19-26.

North Slope production averaged 846,127 barrels per day in February, down from an average of 857,271 bpd in January.

Milne Point averaged 36,684 bpd, down from an average of 42,165 bpd in January. Production includes Schrader Bluff.

BP’s Northstar field had the largest increase, 4.5 percent, averaging 51,662 bpd in February compared to 49,462 bpd in January, an average increase of 2,200 bpd. The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 171,804 bpd in February, up 0.9 percent from a January average of 170,336 bpd, an average increase of 1,468 bpd. Kuparuk River production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm.

All other fields had declining production from January to February.

Production at the BP-operated Endicott field averaged 20,222 bpd in February, down 2.4 percent from a January average of 20,726 bpd. Endicott includes Sag Delta, Eider and Badami.

The BP-operated Lisburne field averaged 39,231 bpd, down 2.2 percent from a January average of 40,124 bpd. Lisburne includes Point McIntyre and Niakuk.

BP-operated Prudhoe Bay averaged 400,383 bpd in January, down 1.5 percent from a January average of 406,578 bpd. Prudhoe production includes Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion.

Prudhoe Bay production was 416,479 barrels on March 1, but dropped to 325,365 barrels March 2, after a spill was discovered from a transit line between Gathering Center 1 and Gathering Center 2 in the western operating area and BP shut down Gathering Center 2. Production was 272,799 barrels March 3, 316,320 barrels March 4 and 319,630 barrels March 5.

The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine field averaged 126,141 bpd, down 1.4 percent from a January average of 127,880 bpd.

The North Slope temperature at Pump Station 1 averaged minus 3.9 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to a three-year average February temperature of minus 15.1 degrees F. The temperature averaged minus 12.3 degrees F in January.

Cook Inlet production for February averaged 17,394 bpd, down 2.4 percent from a January average of 17,816 bpd.

—Kristen Nelson