ANS averages 506,323 bpd in November

Production up 1% from October, down 4% from November 2019; Cook Inlet averaged 10,940 bpd, down 4% from October, 23% from 2019

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 506,323 barrels per day in November, up 0.9% from an October average of 501,688 bpd but down 3.7% from a November 2019 average of 525,738 bpd. Crude oil was 89.5% of the total, 453,036 bpd, up 1.1% from October and down 3.6% from November 2019, while natural gas liquids averaged 53,287 bpd, down 0.7% from October and down 4.4% from November 2019.

The largest month-over-month volume increase was at the Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay field, the Slope’s largest, which averaged 273,122 bpd in November, up 7,033 bpd, 2.6%, from an October average of 266,089 bpd, but down 1.6% from a November 2019 average of 277,672 bpd.

Prudhoe crude oil volumes, 81.3% of its total production in November, averaged 221,988 bpd, up 5,231 bpd from an October average of 216,757, and down 1.6% from a November 2019 average of 225,503 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs averaged 51,133 bpd in November, up 3.7%, 1,802 bpd, from an October average of 49,331 bpd, and down 2% from a November 2019 average of 52,169 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.

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

Other month-over-month increases

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

Hilcorp Alaska’s Milne Point averaged 36,249 bpd in November, up 945 bpd, 2.7%, from an October average of 35,304, and continuing to climb, up 24.9%, from a November 2019 average of 29,023 bpd.

Endicott, operated by Hilcorp Alaska, averaged 7,131 bpd in November, up 8.9%, 584 bpd, from an October average of 6,547 bpd and down 5% from a November 2019 average of 7,505 bpd. Endicott crude oil, 86% of the field’s November production, averaged 6,131 bpd, up 7.3% from October and down 5.9% from November 2019, while NGL production at the field, 14% of the total, averaged 999 bpd in November, up 20% from October and up 0.7% from November 2019.

Badami, operated by Savant Alaska, a Glacier Oil and Gas company, averaged 1,817 bpd in November, up 17.8%, 274 bpd, from an October average of 1,543 bpd and up 31.7% from a November 2019 average of 1,379 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth, in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, averaged 3,480 bpd in November, up 194 bpd, 5.9%, from an October average of 3,287 bpd but down 56.8% from a November 2019 average of 8,060 bpd.

Month-over-month declines

In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville production includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Northstar field averaged 6,912 bpd in November, down 1,952 bpd, 22%, from an October average of 8,864 bpd and down 28.2% from a November 2019 average of 9,629 bpd. Crude oil represented 83.3% of the field’s production in November, 5,758 bpd, up 7.6% from October and down 18.3% from November 2019. Northstar NGL production for November averaged 1,154 bpd, 16.7% of the field’s production, down 67.1% from October and down 55.3% from November 2019.

Eni’s Nikaitchuq averaged 15,275 bpd in November, down 6.2%, 1,017 bpd, from an October average of 16,291 bpd and down 17.8% from a November 2019 average of 18,575 bpd.

Eni’s Oooguruk averaged 7,166 bpd in November, down 499 bpd, 6.5%, from an October average of 7,665 and down 20.8% from a November 2019 average of 9,045 bpd

Point Thomson, operated by ExxonMobil Production, averaged 8,646 bpd in November, down 4.9%, 449 bpd, from an October average of 9,096 bpd but up 584.8% from a November 2019 average of 1,263 bpd.

Cook Inlet

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 134 bpd in November, down 16 bpd, 10.5%, from an October average of 149 bpd and down 35% from a November 2019 average of 206 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,958 bpd in November, down 19 bpd, 0.7%, from an October average of 2,977 bpd but up 9.1% from a November 2019 average of 2,712 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 917 bpd in November, down 118 bpd, 11.4%, from an October average of 1,035 bpd and down 22.7% from a November 2019 average of 1,186 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, Cook Inlet’s largest field, averaged 3,843 bpd in November, down 48 bpd, 1.3%, from an October average of 3,892 bpd and down 15.6% from a November 2019 average of 4,553 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 1,242 bpd in November, down 13 bpd, 1.1%, from an October average of 1,255 bpd and down 6.4% from a November 2019 average of 1,326 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 789 bpd in November, down 8 bpd, 1%, from an October average of 797 bpd and down 5% from a November 2019 average of 831 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,057 bpd in November, down 14.9%, 266 bpd, from an October average of 1,242 bpd and down 22.6% from a November 2019 average of 1,366 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.

Cook Inlet gas production down 1.4%

Eighty-six percent of production comes from the inlet’s eight largest fields.

The largest, Hilcorp’s Kenai gas field, accounted for just over 20% of November production, with an average of 45,937 mcf per day, up 2.7%, 1,197 mcf, from an October average of 44,739 mcf per day and up 39.5% from a November 2019 average of 32,923 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field, the inlet’s largest oil producer, averaged 31,293 mcf of natural gas per day in November, down 3.4%, 1,119 mcf, from an October average of 32,412 mcf per day but up 39.6% from a November 2019 average of 22,412 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 29,791 mcf per day in November, up 9.3%, 2,541 mcf, from an October average of 27,250 mcf per day, but down 12.7% from a November 2019 average of 34,122 mcf per day.

The Beluga River field, operated by Hilcorp, averaged 24,188 mcf per day in November, down 7.8%, 2,034 mcf, from an October average of 26,222 mcf, but up 16.8% from a November 2019 average of 20,718 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River field averaged 20,053 mcf per day, down 11.2%, 2,519 mcf, from an October average of 22,573 mcf, and down 46.5% from a November 2019 average of 37,466 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 17,661 mcf per day in November, up 1.9%, 321 mcf, from an October average of 17,340 mcf and up 27% from a November 2019 average of 13,910 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 13,809 mcf per day in November, up 4.7%, 621 mcf, from an October average of 13,188 mcf, and up 86.8% from a November 2019 average of 7,393 mcf per day.

Furie Operating’s Kitchen Lights averaged 13,299 mcf per day in November, down 5.8%, 816 mcf, from an October average of 14,114 mcf and up 0.8% from a November 2019 average of 13,195 mcf per day.

There are 12 smaller fields — two others, Redoubt Shoal and West McArthur River, are shutdown.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 5,094 mcf per day in November, up 0.6%, 29 mcf, from an October average of 5,065 mcf and down 5.7% from a November 2019 average of 5,401 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 4,981 mcf per day in November, up 2.2%, 109 mcf, from an October average of 4,872 mcf and down 31.6% from a November 2019 average of 7,279 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,758 mcf per day in November, down 0.2%, 8 mcf, from an October average of 3,766 mcf and up 38% from a November 2019 average of 2,722 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 3,682 mcf per day in November, down 18.9%, 857 mcf, from an October average of 4,538 mcf and up 906% from a November 2019 average of 366 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,629 mcf per day in November, down 2.3%, 85 mcf, from an October average of 3,714 mcf and down 18.5% from a November 2019 average of 4,453 mcf per day.

The North Fork field, purchased by Gardes Holdings in October, averaged 3,184 mcf per day in November, down 1%, 32 mcf, from an October average of 3,216 mcf and down 13.8% from a November 2019 average of 3,693 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 2,846 mcf per day in November, down 0.9%, 25 mcf, from an October average of 2,871 mcf and down 50% from a November 2019 average of 5,689 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,945 mcf per day in November, down 21.4%, 530 mcf, from an October average of 2,475 mcf and down 34.5% from a November 2019 average of 2,968 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 986 mcf per day in November, down 6.7%, 71 mcf, from an October average of 1,057 mcf and down 13.8% from a November 2019 average of 1,143 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 345 mcf per day in November, down 4.6%, 17 mcf, from an October average of 362 mcf and down 20.1% from a November 2019 average of 432 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 313 mcf per day in November, up 24.4%, 61 mcf, from an October average of 251 mcf and up 68.7% from a November 2019 average of 185 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 242 mcf per day in November, down 7.8%, 21 mcf, from an October average of 263 mcf and down 9.3% from a November 2019 average of 267 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.

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

—KRISTEN NELSON

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