ANS production down 1% in September
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Led by a 16.7 percent production drop at greater Prudhoe Bay, the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay and Lisburne fields, total Alaska North Slope crude production dropped 1.4 percent in September, with production averaging 649,117 barrels per day, compared to 658,022 bpd in August.
Daren Beaudo, BP Exploration (Alaska) director of press relations, told Petroleum News Oct. 3 that Prudhoe September production “was based on normal seasonal variability and planned maintenance activities” including a scheduled turnaround at Gathering Center 2. Beaudo said that turnaround began around Sept. 7. The field “has been ramping back up the last day or so,” he said.
Beaudo said that Lisburne, where production dropped Sept. 29 and which had no production Sept. 30, had been down for a couple of days “for some planned testing and maintenance.”
Prudhoe Bay production began the month at 300,932 bpd, dropped to 183,417 bpd on Sept. 13 and was only back up to 242,857 bpd at the end of the month, averaging 235,650 bpd in September, compared to 300,308 bpd in August, a drop of 21.5 percent. Prudhoe production includes western satellites Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion.
Lisburne, also part of greater Prudhoe Bay, averaged 31,714 bpd in September, up 16.7 percent from an August average of 27,168 bpd. Lisburne includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk.
Combined production 300,000 BP-operated Endicott, which includes some 33,000 bpd of Prudhoe Bay Flow Station 2 crude while Prudhoe lines are being replaced, averaged 37,506 bpd in September, up 75.6 percent from an August average of 21,363 bpd. August production was down due to a month-long turnaround at the field which began in late July.
The Department of Revenue said in July that Endicott started the 28-day turnaround July 28 and would have one compressor train out of service until the end of August. Endicott production was projected to be down 13,000 bpd.
Combined production from Prudhoe, Lisburne and the 33,000 bpd coming through the Endicott pipeline averaged 300,364 bpd in September, down 16.7 percent from an average of 360,476 bpd in August.
The BP-operated Northstar field averaged 34,472 bpd, down 7.8 percent from an August average of 37,401 bpd.
Milne Point production up BP’s Milne Point field, which includes Schrader Bluff production, averaged 34,198 bpd in September, up 31.3 percent from an August average of 26,046 bpd.
The Alpine field, operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska, averaged 126,202 bpd in September, up 19 percent from an August average of 106,045 bpd. Alpine includes satellite production from Nanuq and Fiord.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 149,375 bpd in September, up 6.9 percent from an August average of 139,691 bpd. Kuparuk includes production from West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm.
Cook Inlet production averaged 14,671 bpd in September, down 0.4 percent from an August average of 14,727 bpd.
The temperature at Pump Station 1 on the North Slope averaged 39.3 degrees Fahrenheit in September, compared to a five-year September average of 37.5 degrees F and down from 47.2 degrees F in August.
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