ANS crude production back up above 1 million barrels per day

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News editor-in-chief

Alaska North Slope production was back above 1 million barrels of oil per day in March, averaging 1,006,790 bpd.

Although all North Slope fields had at least some production increase in March, the 5 percent increase over a February average of 959,250 bpd was primarily the result of a return to normal rates at BP Exploration (Alaska)’s Northstar field, which had no production for two weeks in February after a compressor motor failed.

Northstar averaged 72,597 bpd in March, an increase of 84.77 percent over a February average of only 39,291 bpd. The field did have some slow production days during the month, the Alaska Department of Revenue said, producing less than 60,000 bpd, March 13-14, because of a shipping pump repair. During the rest of the month Northstar production ranged from highs above 80,000 bpd at the beginning of the month to volumes in the high 60,000 bpd range at the end of the month, although Revenue said above zero temperatures and further repairs at Northstar caused a slope-wide output dip from March 20-23. Production at the BP-operated Prudhoe Bay field, which includes the Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion satellites, averaged 488,020 bpd in March, up 0.87 percent from a February average of 483,820 bpd.

ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River averaged 198,755 bpd, up 0.15 percent over February production of 198,455 bpd. Kuparuk production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm. BP’s Milne Point field, which includes production from Schrader Bluff, averaged 51,245 bpd, up 0.86 percent from a February average of 50,808 bpd. Endicott, also BP-operated, averaged 29,984 bpd, up 11.1 percent from a February average of 26,088 bpd. BP-operated Lisburne, which includes production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk, averaged 59,337 bpd in March, up 5.55 percent from a February average of 56,219 bpd.

ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine averaged 107,852 bpd, up 3.14 percent from a February average of 104,569 bpd.

The average temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the North Slope was –13.9 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to a three-year average for March of –8.6 degrees.

Crude oil production in the Cook Inlet basin averaged 24,530 bpd in March, down 5.15 percent from a February average of 25,863 bpd.