|
North Slope production for March up 4 percent
Kristen Nelson
March crude oil and natural gas production on Alaska’s North Slope was up 4 percent from February. Economist Denise Hawes of the Alaska Department of Revenue Division of Oil and Gas Audit said the increase was driven by cold temperatures, Tabasco production additions at Kuparuk and the fact that natural gas liquids were not needed at Kuparuk because of maintenance of the miscible injectant project at that field.
Tabasco well additions, she said, would add 15,000 barrels a day to Kuparuk production; three wells began production in March, a fourth began production April 1. Maintenance of the Kuparuk large-scale enhanced oil recovery project temporarily halted transfer of approximately 30,000 barrels a day of NGL from Prudhoe Bay.
North Slope crude oil and natural gas production averaged 1,176,367 barrels a day in March, up 4 percent from 1,130,801 barrels in February.
Endicott production dropped significantly because of tie-in work at the field for enhanced oil recovery. Endicott averaged only 38,055 barrels a day, down 28 percent from an average of 52,705 barrels a day in February. Production up from most fields Production from other fields was up for the month. The largest percentage increase (8.69 percent) was at the Milne Point field, which averaged 56,542 barrels a day, up from 52,020 barrels a day in February. Kuparuk production, including Tarn, Tabasco and West Sak, averaged 281,877 barrels a day, up 8.65 percent from an average of 259,429 barrels a day in February. Prudhoe Bay production averaged 583,667 barrels a day, up 2.83 percent from an average of 567,616 barrels a day in February. The Lisburne production center — which includes production from the Lisburne, Point McIntyre and Niakuk fields — averaged 145,725 barrels a day, up 1.61 percent from an average of 143,423 barrels a day in February. Prudhoe Bay natural gas liquids production averaged 70,501 barrels a day, up 27 percent from an average of 55,608 barrels a day in February.
Cook Inlet production averaged 30,499 barrels a day, up 1.6 percent from an average of 30,018 barrels a day in February.
|
