Colder North Slope temperatures brought December crude oil production up 1.01 percent over November, with the biggest gain coming from the state’s largest field, Prudhoe Bay.
Figures from the Department of Revenue’s division of oil and gas audit show total production for December at an average 1,358,975 barrels a day, up 1.01 percent from the average of 1,345,307 barrels a day in November. Statewide production was down 7.81 percent from December 1996, when average daily production stood at 1,465,153 barrels.
The division said December’s North Slope temperatures finally dropped below zero, averaging -9 degrees Fahrenheit, closer to the historical average of -11 degrees, and allowing for more efficient gas handling and increased production.
Prudhoe up 1.6 percent
December production at Prudhoe Bay averaged 691,382 barrels a day, up 1.64 percent from November’s average of 680,060 barrels a day, but down 9.39 percent from December 1996 production which averaged 756,272 barrels a day. Prudhoe Bay production accounted for 50.9 percent of Alaska’s crude oil production in December.
Kuparuk River, the state’s second largest field, averaged 266,128 barrels a day in December, up 0.48 percent from November’s average production of 264,848 barrels a day, and down only 0.11 percent from December 1996 average production of 266,418 barrels a day. Kuparuk accounts for 19.58 percent of state crude production.
The Lisburne production center, processing oil from the Lisburne, Niakuk, Point McIntyre and smaller fields, averaged 193,574 barrels a day in December, down 0.57 percent from November’s average production of 194,681, but down 9.95 percent from December 1996 production, which averaged 212,839 barrels a day. The Lisburne facility processed 14.24 percent of the state’s oil in December.
Endicott averaged 59,462 barrels a day in December, down 2 percent from the November average of 60,654 barrels a day, and down 22.11 percent from December 1996 production averaging 72,612 barrels a day. Endicott production was 4.38 percent of the state total in December.
Milne up from 1996
Milne Point was up 2.24 percent in December, to 53,416 barrels a day, from 52,219 barrels a day in November. Milne was the only field in this accounting to be up from December 1996, figures, a 2.39 percent gain from that month’s average of 52,139 barrels a day. Milne production was 3.93 percent of the state total in December.
Prudhoe Bay natural gas liquids production for December averaged 63,214 barrels a day, up 3.88 from November’s average of 60,763 barrels a day, but down 7.6 percent from December 1996 production of 68,017 barrels a day.
Cook Inlet production was 31,799 barrels a day for December down 0.92 percent from November’s average production of 32,092 barrels a day, and down 15.9 percent from December 1996 production averaging 36,856 barrels a day. Cook Inlet production accounts for 2.34 percent of the state total.