Sidebar: Inlet gas production down marginally

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Natural gas production in Cook Inlet averaged 225,968 thousand cubic feet per day in December, down 1,068 mcf, 0.5%, from a November average of 227,036 mcf per day, but up 6.1% from a December 2019 average of 212,927 mcf per day.

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.

In December 85.1% of Cook Inlet natural gas production came from the eight largest fields.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Kenai gas field averaged 45,473 mcf per day, 20.1% of inlet gas production, down 464 mcf per day, 1%, from a November average of 45,937 mcf but up 35.9% from a December 2019 average of 33,463 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 31,327 mcf per day, 13.9% of inlet gas production, up 1,535 mcf per day, 5.2%, from a November average of 29,791 mcf, but down 5.1% from a December 2019 average of 33,017 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, the inlet’s largest oil producer, averaged 28,096 mcf per day in December, 12.4% of inlet gas production, down 3,197 mcf per day, 10.2%, from a November average of 31,293 mcf, but up 26.6% from a December 2019 average of 22,188 mcf per day.

Beluga River, operated by Hilcorp, averaged 23,895 mcf per day in December, 10.6% of inlet gas production, down 293 mcf per day, 1.2%, from a November average of 24,188 mcf, but up 17% from a December 2019 average of 20,416 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 19,442 mcf per day in December, 8.6% of inlet gas production, down 611 mcf, 3.1%, from a November average of 20,053 mcf, and down 36.1% from a December 2019 average of 30,436 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 17,302 mcf per day in December, 7.7% of inlet gas production, down 358 mcf, 2%, from a November average of 17,661 mcf and down 0.7% from a December 2019 average of 17,421 mcf per day.

Kitchen Lights, operated by Furie, averaged 14,690 mcf per day in December, 6.5% of inlet gas production, up 1,391 mcf, 10.5%, from a November average of 13,299 mcf, but down 0.7% from a December 2019 average of 14,797 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 11,961 mcf per day in December, 5.3% of inlet gas production, down 1,848 mcf, 13.4%, from a November average of 13,809 mcf, but up 62.8% from a November 2019 average of 7,347 mcf per day.

Smaller inlet gas fields

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 6,169 mcf per day in December, up 2,488 mcf, 67.6%, from a November average of 3,682 mcf, and up 1777.4% from a December 2019 average of 329 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 5,158 mcf per day in December, up 178 mcf, 3.6%, from a November average of 4,981 mcf but down 11.9% from a December 2019 average of 5,854 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 5,085 mcf per day in December, down 0.2%, 10 mcf, from a November average of 5,094 mcf and down 4.5% from a December 2019 average of 5,323 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,773 mcf per day in December, up 0.4%, 15 mcf, from a November average of 3,758 mcf and up 15.5% from a December 2019 average of 3,267 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,496 mcf per day in December, down 3.7%, 133 mcf, from a November average of 3,629 mcf and down 17.2% from a December 2019 average of 4,220 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork averaged 3,126 mcf per day in December, down 1.8%, 58 mcf, from a November average of 3,184 mcf and down 12.8% from a December 2019 average of 3,583 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen averaged 2,784 mcf per day in December, down 2.2%, 62 mcf, from a November average of 2,846 mcf and down 47.4% from a December 2019 average of 5,298 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,250 mcf per day in December, up 15.7%, 305 mcf, from a November average of 1,945 mcf but down 28.6% from a December 2019 average of 3,149 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 381 mcf per day in December, up 21.7%, 68 mcf, from a November average of 313 mcf and up 33.5% from a December 2019 average of 285 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 328 mcf per day in December, down 5%, 17 mcf, from a November average of 345 mcf and down 18.4% from a December 2019 average of 402 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 260 mcf per day in December, up 7.3%, 18 mcf, from a November average of 242 mcf and up 23.1% from a December 2019 average of 211 mcf per day.

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

- KRISTEN NELSON