|
October North Slope oil production up 2% BP’s Northstar field hits new production high; Alpine production down 18 percent due to unscheduled maintenance Kristen Nelson Petroleum News Editor-in-Chief
October Alaska North Slope production was up 1.73 percent from September, averaging 986,961 barrels per day, compared to 970,157 bpd for September. The increase was driven by increases at Prudhoe, Northstar and Lisburne, with Northstar setting a new monthly average production record.
Alpine was a drag on production, with a big drop from September due to unscheduled maintenance work on the field’s primary generator.
Production rises as temperatures drop in the fall. Gas produced with the oil has to be reinjected into the fields, and compression equipment is more efficient at colder temperatures. The October temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the North Slope averaged 27.1 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 35.7 degrees F for September. The Department of Revenue reported that the three-year average for October is 22.7 degrees F.
Prudhoe Bay, operated by 27 percent working interest owner BP Exploration (Alaska), had the largest per-barrel increase, up an average of 23,390 bpd, a 5.23 percent increase over September production, to 470,962 bpd, from 447,572 bpd in September. Prudhoe production includes western Prudhoe satellites Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion. Northstar has largest percent increase Alpine had the largest decrease in production, down 18,609 bpd to 86,359 bpd, a drop of 17.73 percent from September production averaging 104,968 at the west North Slope field operated by 78 percent working interest owner ConocoPhillips Alaska. Department of Revenue economist Denise Hawes said the Alpine production drop was caused by unplanned maintenance at the field beginning Oct. 23. ConocoPhillips was working on the primary generator at Alpine, and initially expected to be at 40 percent rates only through Oct. 26, she said, but the work took through Oct. 30. Alpine production returned to 105,190 bpd Oct. 31. Rates dropped from 104,753 bpd on Oct. 22 to 30,466 bpd on Oct. 23 and dipped to an average of 4,842 bpd Oct. 27.
Northstar, operated by 98 percent working interest owner BP, had the largest percent increase in production, up 9.17 percent to 74,959 bpd, from a September average of 68,662 bpd.
This is a new high for Northstar, which came online in November 2001. The field’s previous high production was an average of 71,252 bpd in June.
Daren Beaudo, BP Exploration (Alaska)’s director of public affairs, told Petroleum News Nov. 4 that the ‘nameplate’ rating for Northstar is 65,000 barrels per day, a number based on assumptions for such things as the gas-oil ratio.
“As a result of less constraint due to some remedial well stimulations, we’ve lowered the gas production on some wells and are able to process more oil as a result,” Beaudo said.
“Northstar, like other fields, has gas handling constraints,” he said, and over time the gas to oil ration will change and “rates will get back closer to the design rates.” Lisburne, Milne, Endicott also have production increases Production at BP-operated Lisburne (part of greater Prudhoe Bay) was up 6.44 percent to an average of 59,817 bpd, an increase of 3,619 bpd from September’s average of 56,198 bpd. Lisburne production includes the Point McIntyre and Niakuk fields.
At Endicott, operated by 68 percent working interest owner BP, the increase was 6.92 percent, with October production averaging 29,260 bpd, up 1,894 bpd from a September average of 27,366 bpd. Endicott production includes Eider, and formerly included Badami, which is now shut in because of low production.
Milne Point, operated by 100 percent working interest owner BP, has a 2.1 percent increase in production, averaging 55,680 bpd in October compared to 54,538 bpd in September, an increase of 1,142 bpd.
Production was down slightly at the Kuparuk River field, operated by 55 percent working interest owner ConocoPhillips Alaska. The field, which includes West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm, averaged 209,924 bpd, down 0.44 percent (929 barrels a day) from a September average of 210,853 bpd.
Cook Inlet production was up 3.54 percent, averaging 28,959 bpd in October, an increase of 989 bpd from September production averaging 27,970 bpd.
|
