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ANS production down 2% in September
Alaska North Slope production averaged 830,571 barrels per day in September, down 2.1 percent from an August average of 848,742 bpd, driven by zero production from BP Exploration (Alaska)’s Northstar field for the first five days of the month, and a partial shutdown at BP’s Prudhoe Bay Gathering Center 2 Sept. 4-5 for maintenance.
BP also said in late September that it would be shutting in some 70 wells, some already offline, for remedial work (see story in Oct. 2 issue of Petroleum News.)
Northstar, which averaged 48,845 bpd in September, had the largest decrease from August, down 15.1 percent from 57,530 bpd due to the five days with no production, followed by three days of ramping up until the field reached a normal range of plus-60,000 bpd production. The shutdown for seven days for compressor work began Aug. 30, so the field’s production was impacted in both months. Prudhoe down 3.6% BP operated Prudhoe Bay (including satellite production from Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion) averaged 374,671 bpd in September, down 3.6 percent from an August average of 388,608 bpd. The Alaska Department of Revenue reports the field lost 90,000 bpd of production during the Gathering Center 2 partial shutdown Sept. 4-5. BP has estimated that the 70-well shutdown for remedial work will result in a drop of 20,000 bpd of production. Prudhoe production peaked for the month at 416,660 bpd Sept. 26; production Sept. 30 was 394,576 bpd.
BP-operated Lisburne (which includes Point McIntyre and Niakuk) averaged 40,123 bpd in September, down 3.54 percent from an August average of 41,595 bpd.
BP-operated Endicott (which includes some Badami production) averaged 19,759 bpd in September, down 1.8 percent from an August average of 20,120 bpd.
Production from ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River averaged 174,325 bpd in September, down 1.5 percent from an August average of 176,995. Kuparuk production includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm.
BP-operated Milne Point field had the largest percentage increase, up 17.6 percent to 45,653 bpd in September from 38,825 bpd in August. BP replaced a generator at Milne Point following the 36-hour July shutdown of the trans-Alaska pipeline; the field was expected to be back in the 50,000 bpd range by mid-August; September production peaked at 47,843 bpd Sept. 9.
ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine averaged 127,195 bpd in September, up 1.7 percent from an August average of 125,069 bpd.
The temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the North Slope averaged 39.9 degrees Fahrenheit in September, down from an August average of 46.4 degrees F. The three-year September average at Pump Station No. 1 is 36.7 degrees F.
Cook Inlet production averaged 19,151 bpd in September, down 2.1 percent from an August average of 19,567 bpd.
—Kristen Nelson
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