SIDEBAR: Cook Inlet natural gas production up in February

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Natural gas production from the Cook Inlet basin averaged 233,624 thousand cubic feet in February, up 3.5%, 7,863 mcf per day, from a January average of 225,761 mcf per day and up 4.6% from a February 2020 average of 223,304 mcf per day.

This data is 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.

The inlet’s nine largest gas fields accounted for 88.6% of production in February, led by Hilcorp’s Kenai gas field at 23.8%, averaging 55,606 mcf per day, up 6,880 mcf per day, 14.12%, from a January average of 48,727 mcf per day and up 61.3% from a February 2020 average of 34,471 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik accounted for 13% of inlet volume, averaging 30,386 mcf per day in February, down 897 mcf per day, 2.9%, from a January average of 31,284 mcf per day and down 29.5% from a February 2020 average of 43,083 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, the inlet’s largest oil field, accounted for 11.3% of natural gas production, 26,494 mcf per day in February, up 5.4%, 1,357 mcf per day, from a January average of 25,137 mcf per day and up 27.9% from a February 2020 average of 20,718 mcf per day.

The Beluga River field, operated by Hilcorp, averaged 24,568 mcf per day in February, 10.5% of inlet production, up by 596 mcf per day, 2.5%, from a January average of 23,972 mcf per day and up 31.3% from a February 2020 average of 18,717 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 18,853 mcf per day in February, 8.1% of inlet production, up 99 mcf per day, 0.5%, from a January total of 18,754 mcf per day but down 45% from a February 2020 average of 34,254 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 15,024 mcf per day in February, 6.4% of inlet production, up 453 mcf per day, 3.1%, from a January average of 14,571 mcf per day and up 4.6% from a February 2020 average of 14,360 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet field averaged 14,930 mcf per day in February, 6.4% of inlet production, down 1,440 mcf per day, 8.8%, from a January average of 16,369 mcf per day and down 21.7% from a February 2020 average of 19,071 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 11,178 mcf per day in February, 4.8% of inlet production, down 1,349 mcf per day, 10.8%, from a January average of 12,526 mcf per day but up 58.5% from a February 2020 average of 7,051 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River, where production has been increased substantially in recent months, accounted for 4.2% of inlet production in February at 9,901 mcf per day, up 3,634 mcf per day, 58%, from a January average of 6,267 mcf per day, and up 2,531.9% from a February 2020 average of 376 mcf per day.

Inlet’s smaller fields

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,934 mcf per day in February, down 98 mcf per day, 2%, from a January average of 5,032 mcf per day and down 5.5% from a February 2020 average of 5,219 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 4,818 mcf per day in February, down 750 mcf per day, 13.5%, from a January average of 5,568 mcf per day and up 0.8% from a February 2020 average of 4,779 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,603 mcf per day in February, down 141 mcf per day, 3.8%, from a January average of 3,744 mcf per day but up 4% from a February 2020 average of 3,465 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen averaged 3,309 mcf per day in February, up 106 mcf per day, 3.3%, from a January average of 3,204 mcf per day but down 27.5% from a February 2020 average of 4,566 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,051 mcf per day in February, down 317 mcf per day, 9.4%, from a January average of 3,368 mcf per day and down 25.8% from a February 2020 average of 4,113 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork averaged 3,037 mcf per day in February, down 11 mcf per day, 0.4%, from a January average of 3,048 mcf per day and down 18.3% from a February 2020 average of 3,715 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,037 mcf per day in February, down 271 mcf per day, 11.7%, from a January average of 2,307 mcf per day and down 30.3% from a February 2020 average of 2,920 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,095 mcf per day in February, up 142 mcf per day, 15%, from a January average of 953 mcf per day but down 1.6% from a February 2020 average of 1,113 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 354 mcf per day in February, up 31 mcf per day, 9.6%, from a January average of 323 mcf per day but down 18.3% from a February 2020 average of 434 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 266 mcf per day in February, down 121 mcf per day, 31.3%, from a January average of 387 mcf per day but up 0.2% from a February 2020 average of 265 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 182 mcf per day in February, down 40 mcf per day, 18.2%, from a January average of 222 mcf per day and down 34.7% from a February 2020 average of 278 mcf per day.

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