North Slope production averages 885,142 bpdAlpine sets one-day production record as capacity expansion work kicks in Kristen Nelson Petroleum News Editor-in-Chief
Alaska North Slope production returned to normal in mid-September, after planned and unplanned maintenance and construction activities kept production below normal at various fields for varying amounts of time beginning in mid-July.
North Slope production for September averaged 885,142 barrels per day, up 22.5 percent from the August average of 722,559 bpd, but well below daily volume in the second half of the month, which reached 984,730 bpd on Sept. 23.
The Alaska Department of Revenue noted production stayed below 900,000 bpd through mid-month. Alpine hits production record Production at all North Slope fields was up from August, with the largest increase at Alpine, which was down for maintenance and the first phase of facility expansion work from mid-July through mid-August.
The field’s capacity has been in the 100,000-105,000 bpd range, and was expected to grow by 5,000 bpd from this summer’s work, which increased produced water handling capacity. Capacity at Alpine will increase to 140,000 bpd after facility expansion work is completed next summer.
Alpine production averaged 109,430 bpd in September, up 150 percent from an August average of only 43,817 bpd. Revenue said the ConocoPhillips Alaska operated field set a record Sept. 27 at 117,250 bpd, a peak since production began in November 2000. Alpine had what Revenue called a “plant upset” on Sept. 18-19 during routine testing; full production resumed Sept. 20.
Production at BP-operated Endicott was up 90 percent in September over August, averaging 17,241 bpd, compared to 9,067 bpd in August, when a summer maintenance shutdown had the field down Aug. 14-28.
Northstar, also BP operated, had a compressor failure in August and was up 54 percent in September, averaging 76,291 bpd compared to 49,600 bpd for August. Prudhoe September average up Production at Prudhoe Bay (including western satellites Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion) averaged 391,430 bpd in September, up 11.5 percent from an August average of 350,955 bpd, but still below a July average of 397,464 bpd. Prudhoe had a scheduled maintenance shutdown in August and field operator BP had difficulty getting the field back online. In the second half of September, Prudhoe production was as high as 451,813 bpd.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River unit (production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm) averaged 192,227 bpd in September, up 9.28 percent from 175,907 bpd in August.
Lisburne, a BP-operated field which includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk, averaged 45,944 bpd in September, up 8.2 percent from an August average of 42,448 bpd.
BP-operated Milne Point, which includes Schrader Bluff production, averaged 52,579 bpd in September, up 3.6 percent from an August average of 50,765 bpd.
The North Slope temperature at Pump Station No. 1 averaged 34.6 degrees Fahrenheit in September, compared to a three-year average for the month of 38 degrees F, and an August average of 47.8 degrees F.
Cook Inlet production averaged 25,624 bpd, up 8.8 percent from an August average of 23,550 bpd.
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