March ANS crude down 1.8% from February
Largest month-over-month volume gain at Point Thomson, largest volume drop at Prudhoe Bay; Cook Inlet crude down 6.3% from February Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope production averaged 512,920 barrels per day in March, down 1.8%, 9,501 bpd, from a February average of 522,421 bpd and also down 1.8% from March 2019 when production averaged 522,334 bpd.
Crude oil production averaged 456,325 bpd, 89% of ANS production, down 1.4%, 6,225 bpd from a February average of 462,549 and down 2% from a March 2019 average of 465,742 bpd.
Natural gas liquids production averaged 56,595 bpd, 11% of ANS production, down 5.5%, 3,276 bpd, from a February average of 59,872 bpd and basically unchanged from March 2019 NGL production of 56,592 bpd.
Production data reported here is from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which provides volumes by field and well on a month delay basis.
Point Thomson The largest month-over-month increase was at the ExxonMobil-operated Point Thomson field, which averaged 7,601 bpd, up 31.6%, 1,827 bpd, from a February average of 5,774 bpd, although down 21.4% from a March 2019 average of 9,674 bpd. ExxonMobil has had compressor issues at the high-pressure field, resulting in wide production fluctuations. In its most recent plan of development the company told the state it was addressing issues with its gas injection equipment, had begun installing upgraded components and expected to receive and install remaining equipment during the 2020-21 period.
As noted in the April 19 issue of Petroleum News, two compressor trains are now reported to be operating at the field, with an increase in condensate production expected from approximately 5,000 bpd to 10,000 bpd, which is the rated facility capacity at the field, with each of the two trans capable of 5,000-6,000 bpd.
Small increases elsewhere Several North Slope fields had small month-over-month production increases.
ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Colville River field averaged 51,747 bpd in March, up 1.1%, 541 bpd, from a February average of 51,206, but down 4.4% from a March 2019 average of 54,142 bpd.
In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville production includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field, the Slope’s second largest, averaged 102,382 bpd in March, up 0.5%, 469 bpd, from a February average of 101,913 bpd but down 2.3% from a March 2019 average of 104,830 bpd.
In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Meltwater, Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.
The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott field averaged 7,426 bpd in March, up 2.8%, 201 bpd, from a February average of 7,225 bpd and up 1.6% from a March 2019 average of 7,313. Endicott production averaged 6,569 bpd of crude in March, up 4%, 253 bpd from 6,316 bpd in February, and up 2% from a March 2019 average of 6,443, and 857 bpd of NGLs in March, down 5.7%, 52 bpd, from a February average of 909 bpd and down 1.5% from a March 2019 average of 870 bpd.
Eni’s Oooguruk averaged 8,719 bpd in March, up 0.5%, 47 bpd, from a February average of 8,672 bpd, and up 10.2% from a March 2019 average of 7,912 bpd.
Month-over-month declines The largest month-over-month decline was at the Slope’s largest field, the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay, which averaged 269,686 bpd in March, down 3.4%, 9,555 bpd, from a February average of 279,241, and down 1.5% from a March 2019 average of 273,766 bpd.
Crude production at Prudhoe averaged 217,045 bpd in March, down 2.8%, 6,269 bpd, from a February average of 223,314 bpd and down 1.8% from a March average of 220,977, while the fields NGL production averaged 52,641 bpd in March, down 5.9%, 3,286 bpd, from a February average of 55,927 bpd and down 0.3% from a March 2019 average of 52,789 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 Hilcorp-operated Milne Point field averaged 30,624 bpd in March, down 4.2%, 1,336 bpd, from a February average of 31,960 bpd, but up 33.7% from a March 2019 average of 22,910 bpd.
Hilcorp has been working to increase production from the field since it acquired a 50% interest and took over operatorship in 2014. In February, before the oil price crash, the company said it expected to reach 40,000 bpd at the field by the end of this year.
Eni’s Nikaitchuq averaged 18,956 bpd in March, down 5.4%, 1,089 bpd, from a February average of 20,044, but up 14.7% from a March 2019 average of 16,527 bpd.
The Hilcorp-operated Northstar field averaged 9,636 bpd in March, down 2.9%, 288 bpd, from a February average of 9,925 bpd and down 13.5% from a March 2019 average of 11,133 bpd.
Northstar production included an average of 6,539 bpd of crude oil in March, down 5.1%, 350 bpd, from a February average of 6,888 bpd and down 20.3% from a March 2019 average of 8,200 bpd, and a March average of 3,098 bpd of NGLs, up 2%, 61 bpd, from a February average of 3,036 bpd and up 5.6% from a March 2019 average of 2,933 bpd.
ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 4,892 bpd in March, down 4.2%, 213 bpd, from a February average of 5,105 bpd, and down 60.3% from a March 2019 average of 12,310 bpd.
Badami, operated by Glacier Oil and Gas Co.’s Savant Alaska, averaged 1,252 bpd in March, down 7.7%, 105 bpd, from a February average of 1,357 bpd and down 31.1% from a March 2019 average of 1,817 bpd.
Cook Inlet crude down 6.3% Crude oil production from the Cook Inlet basin in Southcentral Alaska averaged 13,228 bpd in March, down 6.3%, 888 bpd, from a February average of 14,116 bpd and down 13.7% from a March 2019 average of 15,329 bpd.
Hilcorp Alaska’s McArthur River field, Cook Inlet’s largest, averaged 4,075 bpd in March, down 4.7%, 200 bpd, from a February average of 4,275 bpd and down 16.9% from a March 2019 average of 4,903 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Granite Point field averaged 3,258 bpd in March, down 2.7%, 90 bpd, from a February average of 3,348 bpd, but up 20% from a March 2019 average of 2,714 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Trading Bay field averaged 1,324 bpd in March, up 1.8%, 24 bpd, from a February average of 1,300 bpd but down 9.5% from a March 2019 average of 1,462 bpd.
Middle Ground Shoal, another Hilcorp field, averaged 1,245 bpd in March, down 1.2%, 15 bpd, from a February average of 1,260 bpd and down 11.5% from a March 2019 average of 1,408 bpd.
BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 1,068 bpd in March, down 6.3%, 72 bpd, from a February average of 1,140 bpd, and down 31.6% from a March 2019 average of 1,562 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 919 bpd in March, down 1.9%, 19 bpd, from a February average of 938 bpd and down 16.7% from a March 2019 average of 1,104 bpd.
Redoubt Shoal, operated by Glacier’s Cook Inlet Energy, averaged 904 bpd in March, down 30.6%, 399 bpd, from a February average of 1,303 bpd and down 28% from a March 2019 average of 1,256 bpd.
West McArthur River, also operated by Glacier’s CIE, averaged 254 bpd in March, down 23.3% from a February average of 331 bpd and down 56.2% from a March 2019 average of 579 bpd.
Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 180 bpd in March, down 18.8%, 42 bpd, from a February average of 222 bpd and down 47.2% from a March 2019 average of 341 bpd.
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.
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