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Providing coverage of Alaska and northern Canada's oil and gas industry
November 2020

Vol. 25, No.44 Week of November 01, 2020

September ANS production up marginally

Crude, NGLs at 482,194 bpd, up 0.7% from August, up 1.4% from 2019; Cook Inlet at 11,483 bpd, up 3% from August, down 15% from 2019

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope crude oil and natural gas liquids production averaged 482,194 barrels per day in September, up 0.7%, 3,554 bpd, from an August average of 478,640, and up 1.4% from a September 2019 average of 475,648 bpd.

In both cases the increases came from Prudhoe Bay, the Slope’s largest field, and from NGL production - reflecting the increasingly gassy nature of ANS production. NGLs averaged 51,942 bpd in September, up 12.4%, 5,739 bpd, from an August average of 46,204 bpd and up 30.6% from a September 2019 average of 39,770 bpd.

ANS crude averaged 430,251 bpd in September, down 0.5%, 2,185 bpd, from an August average of 432,436 bpd, and down 1.3% from a September 2019 average of 435,878 bpd.

In September 2019, crude accounted for 90.7% of ANS production with NGLs accounting for 9.3%; this September, crude accounted for 89.2%, and NGLs 10.8%.

Three North Slope fields produce NGLs: Endicott, Northstar and Prudhoe Bay, with Prudhoe accounting for the majority of ANS NGLs, 47,461 bpd in September - 18.3% of Prudhoe production, compared to 17.6% a year ago.

Production data reported here are from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which provides volumes by field and well on a month delay basis.

Prudhoe up 7%

The largest month-over-month per-barrel increase was at the Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay field, which averaged 259,693 bpd in September, up 7%, 17,005 bpd, combined crude and NGLs, from an August average of 242,688 bpd, and up 16.5% from a September 2019 average of 222,911 bpd.

Crude oil at Prudhoe averaged 212,232 bpd in September, up 5.6%, 11,289 bpd, from an August average of 200,944 bpd and up 14.6% from a September 2019 average of 185,163 bpd, accounting for 81.7% of Prudhoe production, compared to 82.45% a year ago. NGL production averaged 47,461 bpd in September, up 13.7%, 5,717 bpd, from an August average of 41,744 bpd and up 25.7% from a September 2019 average of 37,749. NGLs accounted for 18.3% of Prudhoe production this September, compared to 17.55% a year ago.

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.

Eni’s Oooguruk field also had a month-over-month increase, averaging 7,631 bpd in September, up 9.7%, 677 bpd, from an August average of 6,954 bpd but down 18.6% from a September 2019 average of 9,379 bpd.

Milne down marginally

Production from other North Slope fields was down from August to September, with the smallest month-over-month decline at Hilcorp Alaska’s Milne Point field, which averaged 33,038 bpd in September, down 0.1%, 31 bpd, from an August average of 33,069, but up 5.9% from a September 2019 average of 31,192 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Northstar averaged 8,996 bpd in September, down 1.32%, 120 bpd, from an August average of 9,116 bpd and down 0.4% from a September 2019 average of 9,035 bpd.

Crude oil production at Northstar averaged 5,554 bpd in September, 61.7% of the field’s production, down 1.67%, 94 bpd, from an August average of 5,648 bpd and down 25.5% from a September 2019 average of 7,452 bpd when crude accounted for 82.5% of production. NGL production at Northstar averaged 3,442 bpd in September, 38.3% of the field’s production, down 0.8%, 26 bpd, from an August average of 3,468 bpd, but up 117.4% from a September 2019 average of 1,583 bpd, when NGLs accounted for just 17.5% of the field’s production.

Endicott, also operated by Hilcorp Alaska, averaged 7,006 bpd in September, down 1.9%, 138 bpd, from an August average of 7,144 bpd, but up 47.8% from a September 2019 average of 4,742 bpd. Crude production at Endicott averaged 5,967 bpd in September, down 3%, 185 bpd, from an August average of 6,153, but up 38.7% from a September 2019 average of 4,304 bpd. Crude represented 85.2% of Endicott production in September, compared to 90.8% last September. Endicott NLG production averaged 1,039 bpd in September, 14.8% of the field’s production, up 4.8%, 48 bpd, from an August average of 991 bpd and up 137.2% from a September 2019 average of 438 bpd when NGLs represented just 9.2% of the field’s production.

Larger declines at other fields

The Kuparuk River unit, the Slope’s second largest, operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska, averaged 98,719 bpd in September, down 0.3%, 253 bpd, from an August average of 98,973 bpd and down 10% from a September 2019 average of 109,628 bpd.

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

Eni’s Nikaitchuq averaged 16,304 bpd in September, down 4.1%, 691 bpd, from an August average of 16,995 and down 21.1% from a September 2019 average of 20,652.

Point Thomson, operated by ExxonMobil Production, averaged 7,505 bpd in September, down 8.6%, 708 bpd, from an August average of 8,213 bpd, but up 49% from a September 2019 average of 5,038 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 1,828 bpd in September, down 31.3%, 832 bpd, from an August average of 2,660 bpd and down 75% from a September 2019 average of 7,316 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Colville River averaged 41,473 bpd in September, down 11,355 bpd, 21.5%, from an August average of 52,827 bpd, and down 23.6% from a September 2019 average of 54,271 bpd.

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

Cook Inlet up 3%

Crude oil production from Cook Inlet averaged 11,483 bpd in September, up 3%, 255 bpd, from an August average of 11,144 bpd but down 15% from a September 2019 average of 13,514 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 183 bpd in September, up 18.8%, 29 bpd, from an August average of 154 bpd but down 18.3% from a September 2019 average of 224 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,005 bpd in September, up 2.1%, 61 bpd, from an August average of 2,944 bpd and up 32.3% from a September 2019 average of 2,271 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field, the Cosmopolitan prospect, averaged 1,045 bpd in September, up 2.3%, 23 bpd, from an August average of 1,022 bpd but down 17.1% from a September 2019 average of 1,261 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, Cook Inlet’s largest field, averaged 3,933 bpd in September, up 3.9%, 146 bpd, from an August average of 3,787 bpd but down 9% from a September 2019 average of 4,321 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 1,161 bpd, down 0.7%, 101 bpd, from an August average of 1,153 bpd, and down 14.5% from a September 2019 average of 1,358 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 833 bpd in September, up 7.8%, 60 bpd, from an August average of 773 bpd but down 0.6% from a September 2019 average of 838 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,323 bpd in September, up 0.9%, 37 bpd, from an August average of 1,311 bpd and up 2.1% from a September 2019 average of 1,296 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 up 12%

Natural gas production in Cook Inlet averaged 222,532 thousand cubic feet per day in September, up 11.9%, 3,648 mcf, from an August average of 218,883 mcf, and up 3.6% from a September 2019 average of 214,904 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.

Eight large gas fields accounted for 86.7% of Cook Inlet production 192,852 mcf per day in September.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Kenai gas field averaged 39,845 mcf per day in September, 17.9% of inlet production, up 4.6%, 1,765 mcf, from an August average of 38,079 mcf, and up 29.9% from a September 2019 average of 30,667 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, the inlet’s largest oil producer, averaged 29,458 mcf per day of natural gas in September, up 14%, 3,612 mcf, from an August average of 25,846 mcf and up 36.3% from a September 2019 average of 21,615 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik field averaged 29,241 mcf per day in September, down 8.3%, 2,639 mcf, from an August average of 31,879 mcf and down 19.3% from a September 2019 average of 36,225 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 23,585 mcf per day in September, up 1.1%, 251 mcf, from an August average of 23,334 mcf but down 34.3% from a September 2019 average of 35,908 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 21,713 mcf per day in September, down 1%, 227 mcf, from an August average of 21,940 mcf, and down 0.1% from a September 2019 average of 21,734 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet field averaged 17,891 mcf per day in September, down 0.5%, 86 mcf, from an August average of 17,976 mcf, but up 29.9% from a September 2019 average of 13,769 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek field averaged 16,370 mcf per day in September, up 31.9%, 3,957 mcf, from an August average of 12,413 mcf, and up 124.2% from a September 2019 average of 7,302 mcf per day.

HEX’s Kitchen Lights averaged 14,749 mcf per day in September, up 6.1%, 841 mcf, from an August average of 13,098 mcf, but down 9.7% from a September 2019 average of 16,327 mcf per day.

Smaller inlet gas fields

Fourteen smaller fields account for the remaining 13.3% of Cook Inlet natural gas production.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop field averaged 4,823 mcf per day in September, down 7.8%, 407 mcf, from an August average of 5,230 mcf, and down 5.2% from a September 2019 average of 5,088 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop field averaged 4,604 mcf per day in September, down 9.5%, 483 mcf, from an August average of 5,087 mcf and down 6.2% from a September 2019 average of 4,911 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,661 mcf per day in September, up 1.6%, 56 mcf, from an August average of 3,605 mcf and up 34.8% from a September 2019 average of 2,717 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,455 mcf per day in September, down 9.8%, 376 mcf, from an August average of 3,831 mcf and down 23.8% from a September 2019 average of 4,535 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy’s North Fork averaged 3,296 mcf per day in September, down 1.3%, 45 mcf, from an August average of 3,341 mcf and down 12.8% from a September 2019 average of 3,778 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 3,052 mcf per day in September, down 10.8%, 371 mcf, from an August average of 3,423 mcf and down 44.9% from a September 2019 average of 5,538 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,456 mcf per day in September, down 17.6%, 525 mcf, from an August average of 2,981 mcf and down 7.4% from a September 2019 average of 2,652 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 2,396 mcf per day in September, down 39.4%, 1,555 mcf, from an August average of 3,950 mcf, but up 491.6% from a September 2019 average of 405 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,066 mcf per day in September, down 0.3%, 3 mcf, from an August average of 1,069 mcf, but up 145.9% from a September 2019 average of 434 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 372 mcf per day in September, down 4.5%, 17 mcf, from an August average of 389 mcf, and down 23.5% from a September 2019 average of 486 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 266 mcf per day in September, down 33%, 131 mcf, from an August average of 397 mcf, but up 15.9% from a September 2019 average of 229 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 233 mcf per day in September, up 13.6%, 28 mcf, from an August average of 205 mcf and up 4.2% from a September 2019 average of 223 mcf per day.

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

—KRISTEN NELSON

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