Sidebar: Cook Inlet natural gas production down

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Natural gas production from Southcentral averaged 208,445 thousand cubic feet per day in June, down 12.2%, 12,179 mcf per day, from a May average of 219,932 mcf per day, but up 7.5% from a June 2020 average of 193,942 mcf per day.

The most significant news here is the addition of a new natural gas field: Hilcorp Alaska’s Seaview field began production in June, and while its current production ranks it among the smallest of Cook Inlet fields, it is the only new field to come online in the inlet in many years, and represents Hilcorp’s first discovery to be brought online (see story on page 1 of this issue).

Data are from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which reports production on a month-delay basis. For natural gas AOGCC reports measurements in thousands of cubic feet, mcf.

Eighty-seven percent of Cook Inlet natural gas production is from the area’s largest fields, all but one operated by Hilcorp Alaska.

Hilcorp’s Kenai gas field averaged 37,030 mcf per day in June (17.8% of inlet production), down an average of 5,423 mcf per day, 12.8%, from a May average of 42,453 mcf per day but up 11.5% from a June 2020 average of 33,225 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 30,133 mcf per day in June (14.5% of inlet production), up by an average 538 mcf per day, 1.8%, from a May average of 29,595 mcf per day, but down 0.8% from a June 2020 average of 30,364 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field averaged 23,204 mcf per day in June (11.1% of inlet production), down by 2,577 mcf per day, 10%, from a May average of 25,781 mcf per day and down by 0.8% from a June 2020 average of 23,380 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 20,584 mcf per day in June (9.9% of inlet production), down 574 mcf per day, 2.7%, from a May average of 21,158 mcf per day but up 20.7% from a June 2020 average of 17,053 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 19,102 mcf per day (9.2% of inlet production), down 1,814 mcf per day, 8.7%, from a May average of 20,916 mcf per day and down 14.4% from a June 2020 average of 22,306 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 14,828 mcf per day in June (7.1% of inlet production), down 258 mcf per day, 1.7%, from a May average of 15,086 mcf per day but up 5.4% from a June 2020 average of 14,069 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 14,631 mcf per day in June (7% of inlet production), down 10.2%, 1,662 mcf per day, from a May average of 16,294 mcf per day but up 9.9% from a June 2020 average of 13,316 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 11,358 mcf per day in June (5.5% of inlet production), up 1,176 mcf per day, 11.6%, from a May average of 10,182 mcf per day and up 4,115.4% from a June 2020 average of 269 mcf per day (0.1% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 10,258 mcf per day in June (4.9% of inlet production), up 283 mcf per day, 2.8%, from a May average of 9,975 mcf per day and up 4.1% from a June 2020 average of 9,851 mcf per day.

The inlet’s small gas fields collectively account for 13.1% of production.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop field averaged 5,255 mcf per day in June, down 314 mcf per day, 5.6%, from a May average of 5,568 mcf per day and down 11.1% from a June 2020 average of 5,011 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,105 mcf per day in June, down 711 mcf per day, 14.8%, from a May average of 4,816 mcf per day and down 14.7% from a June 2020 average of 4,813 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,961 mcf per day in June, down 281 mcf per day, 6.6%, from a May average of 4,242 mcf per day and down 0.6% from a June 2020 average of 3,986 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,605 mcf per day in June, up 48 mcf per day, 1.3%, from a May average of 3,558 mcf per day but down 2% from a June 2020 average of 3,678 mcf per day.

Vision Operating’s North Fork averaged 3,028 mcf per day in June, down 236 mcf per day, 7.2%, from a May average of 3,264 mcf per day and down 11.9% from a June 2020 average of 3,437 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen averaged 2,972 mcf per day in June, down 190 mcf per day, 6%, from a May average of 3,161 mcf per day and down 14.9% from a June 2020 average of 3,491 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,752 mcf per day in June, down 446 mcf per day, 20.3%, from a May average of 2,198 mcf per day and down 35% from a June 2020 average of 2,695 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,111 mcf per day in June, up 19 mcf, 1.7%, from a May average of 1,092 mcf per day and up 4.6% from a June 2020 average of 1,062 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Seaview, the inlet’s newest field, averaged 712 mcf per day in June, its first month of production.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 411 mcf per day in June, down 14 mcf per day, 3.4%, from a May average of 425 mcf per day but up 22.1% from a June 2020 average of 336 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 404 mcf per day in June, up 257 mcf per day, 174.5%, from a May average of 147 mcf per day but down 12.9% from a June 2020 average of 464 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet natural gas production peaked in the mid-1990s at more than 850,000 mcf per day.

- KRISTEN NELSON