ANS volumes up 1.2% month-over-month

Combined North Slope crude and NGL production averaged 503,128 bpd in December, up from November, but down 0.8% from December 2020

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope crude oil and natural gas liquids averaged 503,128 barrels per day in December, up 1.2%, 5,213 bpd, from a November average of 497,281 bpd and down 0.8% from a December 2020 average of 507,185 bpd.

Crude was 87.8% of the total, 441,594 bpd, up 1.2%, 5,213 bpd, from a November average of 436,381 bpd, although down 2.3% from a December 2020 average of 451,798 bpd.

NGLs averaged 61,534 bpd in December, 12.2% of total volume, up 1%, 633 bpd, from a November average of 60,901 bpd and up 11% from a December 2020 average of 55,387 bpd.

Volumes are from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission which reports production by field and well on a month delay basis.

Greater Mooses Tooth

GMT1, the first pad at the unit, has been producing from the Lookout oil pool since October 2018, with production peaking in early 2019 at more than 12,000 bpd and declining to some 2,500-2,600 bpd in recent months.

Volumes from the new GMT2, producing from the Rendezvous oil pool, began showing up in AOGCC data in November, although ConocoPhillips did not begin sustained production until Dec. 12. For the month of December, AOGCC data show two wells online at GMT2 (one for only a few days during the month). Average December production for GMT2 was 4,738, 65% of total GMT production which averaged 7,298 bpd for December. That volume was an 85.6%, 3,365 bpd increase, from a November average of 3,933 bpd and a 110% increase from a December 2020 average of 3,473 bpd.

In an email to Petroleum News on Jan. 10 ConocoPhillips Alaska spokeswoman Rebecca Boys said GMT2 was currently producing more than 10,000 bpd, with production expected to peak at some 30,000 bpd.

Other month-over-month increases

The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 85,036 bpd in December, up 1.3%, 1,116 bpd, from a November average of 83,920 bpd and down 11.4% from a December 2020 average of 96,026 bpd.

In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Meltwater, Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.

The Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay field averaged 284,294 bpd in December, up 0.3%, 881 bpd, from a November average of 283,413 bpd and up 1.4% from a December 2020 average of 280,262 bpd. The field averaged 227,222 bpd of crude, 79.9% of the total, up marginally (19 bpd) from a November average of 227,203 bpd and up 0.1% from a December 2020 average of 227,076 bpd. Prudhoe NGL production averaged 57,072 bpd in December, 20.1% of the field total, up 1.5%, 862 bpd, from a November average of 56,210 bpd and up 7.3% from a December 2020 average of 53,186 bpd.

In addition to the primary reservoir, production volumes from Prudhoe include Aurora, Borealis, Lisburne, Midnight Sun, Niakuk, Polaris, Point McIntyre, Put River, Raven and Schrader Bluff.

The ExxonMobil-operated Point Thomson field (Hilcorp Alaska has taken over as operator effective in January) averaged 9,316 bpd in December, up 9.1%, 776 bpd, from a November average of 8,540 bpd and up 21.9% from a December 2020 average of 7,644 bpd.

Month-over-month declines

Eni’s Oooguruk was also down, averaging 4,987 bpd in December, down 582 bpd, 10.5%, from a November average of 5,569 bpd and down 10.5% from a December 2020 average of 7,608 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Colville River averaged 41,833 bpd in December, down 0.7%, 277 bpd, from a November average of 42,111 bpd and down 6.2% from a December 2020 average of 44,589 bpd. In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville production includes satellite production from Nanuq and Qannik; production from Narwhal began in mid-December.

Badami, operated by Savant Alaska, a Glacier Oil & Gas company, averaged 964 bpd in December, down 8.9%, 94 bpd, from a November average of 1,058 bpd and down 40.6% from a December 2020 average of 1,622 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Northstar averaged 8,310 bpd in December, down 1.1%, 92 bpd, from a November average of 8,402 bpd but up 20.3% from a December 2020 average of 6,910 bpd. Northstar has the highest percentage of NGLs on the North Slope, 42.1%, 3,501 bpd in December, down 4.6%, 168 bpd, from a November average of 3,670 bpd and up 181.4% from a December 2020 average of 1,244 bpd. Crude at Northstar averaged 4,809 bpd in December, 57.9% of the field’s production, up 76 bpd, 1.6%, from a November average of 4,732 bpd and down 15.1% from a December 2020 average of 5,666 bpd.

The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott field (the Duck Island unit) averaged 6,772 bpd in December, down marginally from a November average of 6,776 bpd, and down 6.2% from a December 2020 average of 7,219 bpd. NGLs were 14.2% of the field’s production in December, averaging 960 bpd, down 61 bpd, 5.9%, from a November average of 1,021 bpd and up 0.4% from a December 2020 average of 956 bpd. Crude oil production at Endicott, 85.8% of the field’s total, averaged 5,812 bpd in December, up 57 bpd, 1%, from a November average of 5,755 bpd but down 7.2% from a December 2020 total of 6,262 bpd.

Cook inlet down slightly

Hilcorp Alaska’s McArthur River field, Cook Inlet’s largest, averaged 2,674 bpd in December, up marginally from 2,672 bpd in November but down 32% from a December 2020 average of 3,930 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,560 bpd in December, up 0.8%, 21 bpd, from a November average of 2,539 bpd but down 11.8% from a December 2020 average of 2,904 bpd.

Redoubt Shoal, operated by Cook Inlet Energy, a Glacier Oil & Gas company, averaged 1,062 bpd in December, up 11 bpd, 1.1%, from a November average of 1,051 bpd. The field was not in production in December 2020.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 905 bpd in December, up 20 bpd, 2.3%, from a November average of 884 bpd but down 25% from a December 2020 average of 1,206 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 825 bpd in December, down 26 bpd, 3%, from a November average of 851 bpd and down 11% from a December 2020 average of 927 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 759 bpd in December (659 bpd of crude and 100 bpd of NGLs), up 9 bpd, 1.2%, from a November average of 750 bpd but down 18.2% from a December 2020 average of 927 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 558 bpd in December, down 41 bpd, 6.9%, from a November average of 599 bpd but up 340.6% from a December 2020 average of 127 bpd.

Cook Inlet Energy’s West McArthur River averaged 288 bpd in December, down 21 bpd, 6.7%, from a November average of 309 bpd; the field was not in production in December 2020.

ANS crude oil production peaked in 1988 at 2.1 million bpd; Cook Inlet crude oil production peaked in 1970 at more than 227,000 bpd.

Cook Inlet gas production down marginally

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

Seven large gas fields account for some 81% of current production.

The most productive natural gas field in Cook Inlet currently is Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet, which averaged 32,414 mcf per day in December, 15.9% of inlet production, up 839 mcf per day, 2.7%, from a November average of 31,576 mcf per day and up 87.3% from a December 2020 average of 17,302 mcf per day. Hilcorp has been working at the field which it acquired from ConocoPhillips in 2016; in December 2016 the field averaged 13,911 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik field averaged 30,830 mcf per day in December, 15.1% of inlet production, up 610 mcf per day, 2%, from a November average of 30,221 mcf per day but down 1.6% from a December 2020 average of 31,326 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Kenai field averaged 28,819 mcf per day in December, 14.1% of inlet production, down 1.3%, 376 mcf per day, from a November average of 29,195 mcf per day and down 36.6% from a December 2020 average of 45,473 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 28,645 mcf per day in December, 14% of inlet production, up 2,118 mcf per day, 8%, from a November average of 26,527 mcf per day and up 19.9% from a December 2020 average of 23,895 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field averaged 20,277 mcf per day, 9.9% of inlet production, down 7%, 1,520 mcf per day, from a November average of 23,797 mcf per day and down 27.8% from a December 2020 average of 28,096 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 12,172 mcf per day in December, 6% of inlet production, down 183 mcf per day, 1.5%, from a November average of 12,355 mcf per day and down 37.4% from a December 2020 average of 19,442 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 11,900 mcf per day in December, 5.8% of inlet production, up 706 mcf per day, 6.3%, from a November average of 11,194 mcf per day and down 19% from a December 2020 average of 14,690 mcf per day.

Smaller fields each contribute less than 5% of inlet production.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 8,475 mcf per day in December, down 517 mcf per day, 5.8%, from a November average of 8,992 mcf per day and down 29.1% from a December 2020 average of 11,961 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 7,183 mcf per day in December, down 26%, 2,530 mcf per day, from a November average of 9,713 mcf per day but up 16.4% from a December 2020 average of 6,169 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,118 mcf per day in December, down 170 mcf per day, 4%, from a November average of 4,288 mcf per day and down 19% from a December 2020 average of 5,085 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 3,990 mcf per day in December, down 181 mcf per day, 4.3%, from a November average of 4,171 mcf per day and down 22.7% from a December 2020 average of 5,158 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,532 mcf per day in December, up 23 mcf per day, 0.7%, from a November average of 3,509 mcf per day but down 6.4% from a December 2020 average of 3,773 mcf per day.

Vision Operating’s North Fork field averaged 3,296 mcf per day in December, up 309 mcf per day, 10.3%, from a November average of 2,987 mcf per day and up 5.4% from a December 2020 average of 3,126 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,157 mcf per day in December, down 9%, 312 mcf per day, from a November average of 3,469 mcf per day and down 9.7% from a December 2020 average of 3,496 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 1,881 mcf per day in December, down 239 mcf per day, 11.3%, from a November average of 2,120 mcf per day and down 32.5% from a December 2020 average of 2,784 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,556 mcf per day in December, down 55 mcf per day, 3.4%, from a November average of 1,611 mcf per day, and down 30.9% from a December 2020 average of 2,250 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,022 mcf per day in December, down 39 mcf per day, 3.7%, from a November average of 1,061 mcf per day and up 5.1% from a December 2020 average of 973 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Seaview averaged 307 mcf per day in December, up 88 mcf per day, 40%, from a November average of 219 mcf per day. The field was not yet in production in December 2020.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 283 mcf per day in December, down 22 mcf per day, 7.2%, from a November average of 305 mcf per day and down 13.7% from a December 2020 average of 328 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 267 mcf per day in December, down 148 mcf per day, 35.6%, from a November average of 415 mcf pr day and down 29.8% from a December 2020 average of 381 mcf per day.

Redoubt Shoal, operated by Cook Inlet Energy, a Glacier Oil & Gas company, averaged 222 mcf per day in December, up 9 mcf per day, 4%, from a December average of 213 mcf per day. The field was not in operation in December 2020.

West McArthur River, also operated by Cook Inlet Energy, averaged 57 mcf per day in December, up 4 mcf per day, 7.8%, from a November average of 53 mcf per day. The field was not in operation in December 2020.

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

—KRISTEN NELSON

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