Sidebar: Cook Inlet gas production down marginally

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Cook Inlet natural gas production averaged 219,912 thousand cubic feet in May, down 1,047 mcf, 0.5%, from an April average of 220,959 mcf and up 10.8% from a May 2020 average of 198,445 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 fields accounted for 87.1% of natural gas production in May, down slightly from 87.8% in April but up from 81% in May 2020.

Hilcorp’s Kenai field averaged 42,453 mcf per day in May, 19.3% of inlet production, down 5,501 mcf per day, 11.5%, from an April average of 47,954 mcf per day and up 30.7% from a May 2020 average of 32,489 mcf per day (16.4% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 29,595 mcf per day in May, 13.5% of inlet production, up 938 mcf per day, 3.3%, from an April average of 28,658 mcf per day and down 2% from a May 2020 average of 30,207 mcf per day (15% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s McArthur River averaged 25,781 mcf per day in May, 11.7% of inlet production, down 600 mcf per day, 2.3%, from an April average of 26,380 and up 8.9% from a May 2020 average of 23,684 mcf per day (11.9% of inlet production in that month).

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 21,158 mcf per day in May, 9.6% of inlet production, up 178 mcf per day, 0.9%, from an April average of 20,980 mcf per day, and up 19.6% from a May 2020 average of 17,692 (8.9% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 20,916 mcf per day in May, 9.5% of inlet production, up 1,953 mcf per day, 10.3%, from an April average of 18,963 mcf per day, and down 29.1% from a May 2020 average of 29,516 mcf (14.9% of inlet production in that month).

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 16,294 mcf per day in May, 7.4% of inlet production, up 873 mcf per day, 5.7%, from an April average of 15,421 mcf per day and up 18.8% from a May 2020 average of 13,715 mcf (6.9% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 15,086 mcf per day in May, 6.9% of inlet production, up 1,153 mcf per day, 8.3%, from an April average of 13,933 mcf per day and up 15.1% from a May 2020 average of 13,110 mcf per day (6.6% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 10,182 mcf per day in May, 4.6% of inlet production, down 273 mcf per day, 2.6%, from an April average of 10,455 mcf per day and up 3,063.9% from a May 2020 average of 322 mcf per day (0.2% of inlet production in that month).

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 9,975 mcf per day in May, 4.5% of inlet production, down 1,189 mcf per day, 10.7%, from an April average of 11,164 mcf per day and down 1.3% from a May 2020 average of 10,104 mcf (5.1% of inlet production in that month).

Combined, the smaller Cook Inlet gas fields account for some 13% of inlet production.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 5,568 mcf per day in May, up 13.1%, 646 mcf per day, from an April average of 4,923 mcf per day and up 6.6% from a May 2020 average of 5,223 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,816 mcf per day in May, down 17 mcf per day, 0.4%, from an April average of 4,834 mcf per day and up 10.4% from a May 2020 average of 4,362 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 4,242 mcf per day in May, down 80 mcf per day, 1.9%, from an April average of 4,322 mcf per day and up 6.6% from a May 2020 average of 3,980 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,558 mcf per day in May, down 86 mcf per day, 2.4%, from an April average of 3,644 mcf per day and down 0.2% from a May 2020 average of 3,566 mcf per day.

Vision Operating’s North Fork field averaged 3,264 mcf per day in May, up 6.1%, 187 mcf per day, from an April average of 3,077 mcf per day and down 6% from a May 2020 average of 3,472 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 3,161 mcf per day in May, up 607 mcf per day, 23.8%, from an April average of 2,554 mcf per day and up 13.7% from a May 2020 average of 2,780 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,198 mcf per day in May, up 110 mcf per day, 5.3%, from an April average of 2,088 mcf per day and up 0.3% from a May 2020 average of 2,191 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,092 mcf per day in May, down 19 mcf per day, 1.7%, from an April average of 1,111 mcf per day and up 0.8% from a May 2020 average of 1,083 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 425 mcf per day in May, up 70 mcf per day, 19.8%, from an April average of 355 mcf per day and up 94% from a May 2020 average of 219 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 147 mcf per day in May, up marginally from an April average of 145 mcf per day and down 29.1% from a May 2020 average of 208 mcf per day.

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

- KRISTEN NELSON