ANS December production up from November

At 498,184 bpd, North Slope crude, NGL volumes up half a percent from November, but down 1% from December 2021; Cook Inlet down

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

At 498,184 barrels per day, Alaska North Slope production for December was up half a percent, 2,582 bpd, from a November average of 495,602 bpd, but down 1% from a December 2021 average of 503,128 bpd.

Crude oil accounted for 87.9% of December ANS production, 437,906 bpd, up 0.5%, 2,037 bpd, from a November average of 435,869 bpd but down 0.8% from a December 2021 average of 441,594 bpd. Natural gas liquids accounted for 12.1% of December ANS production, 60,278 bpd, up 546 bpd, 0.9%, from a November average of 59,733 bpd but down 2% from a December 2021 average of 61,534 bpd.

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

Month-over-month increases

Crude accounted for an average of 224,016 bpd at Prudhoe in December, 79.9% of the field’s volume, up 2,777 bpd, 1.3%, from a November average of 221,239 bpd but down 1.4% from a December 2021 average of 227,222 bpd.

NGLs averaged 56,475 bpd at Prudhoe in December, 20.1% of the field’s volume, up 784 bpd, 1.4%, from a November average of 55,691 bpd but down 1.1% from a December 2021 average of 57,072 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.

ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Colville River averaged 37,854 bpd in December, up 2,816 bpd, 8%, from a November average of 35,038, although down 9.5% from a December 2021 average of 41,833 bpd. In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville includes production from the Nanuq and Qannik oil pools.

Eni’s Oooguruk averaged 6,825 bpd in December, up 447 bpd, 7%, from a November average of 6,387 bpd and up 36.9% from a December 2021 average of 4,987 bpd.

Savant Alaska’s Badami field averaged 504 bpd in December, up marginally from a November average of 502 bpd, but down 47.7% from a December 2021 average of 964 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Month-over-month decreases

ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River averaged 81,773 bpd in December, down 504 bpd, 0.6%, from a November average of 82,276 bpd and down 3.8% from a December 2021 average of 85,036 bpd. In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.

Eni’s Nikaitchuq averaged 16,904 bpd in December, down 297 bpd, 1.7%, from a November average of 17,201 bpd and up 0.9% from a December 2021 average of 16,753 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Endicott averaged 6,608 bpd in December, down 285 bpd, 4.1%, from a November average of 6,893 bpd and down 2.4% from a December 2021 average of 6,772 bpd. Crude averaged 5,837 bpd, 88.3% of the field’s December production, down 286 bpd, 4.7%, from a November average of 6,123 bpd and up 0.4% from a December 2021 average of 5,812 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 770 bpd in December, 11.7% of the field’s volume, unchanged from November and down 19.8% from a December 2021 average of 960 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson averaged 8,228 bpd in December, down 180 bpd, 2.1%, from a November average of 8,408 bpd and down 11.7% from a December 2021 average of 9,316 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Milne Point averaged 39,329 bpd in December, down 161 bpd, 0.4%, from a November average of 39,490 bpd and up 4.7% from a December 2021 average of 37,565 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Northstar averaged 6,969 bpd in December, down 58 bpd, 0.8%, from a November average of 7,028 bpd and down 16.1% from a December 2021 average of 8,330 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 3,937 bpd in December, 56.5% of the field’s volume, up 180 bpd, 4.8%, from a November average of 3,757 bpd but down 18.1% from a December 2021 average of 4,809 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 3,033 bpd in December, 43.5% of the field’s volume, down 238 bpd, 7.3%, from a November average of 3,271 bpd and down 13.4% from a December 2021 average of 3,501 bpd.

Cook Inlet down 1.2%

Cook Inlet Energy’s West McArthur River averaged 388 bpd in December, up 53 bpd, 15.9%, from a November average of 335 bpd and up 34.8% from a December 2021 average of 288 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 702 bpd in December, up 34 bpd, 5.1%, from a November average of 668 bpd but down 22.4% from a December 2021 average of 905 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen, at the Cosmopolitan unit, averaged 744 bpd in December, up 3 bpd, 0.5%, from a November average of 741 bpd but down 9.8% from a December 2021 average of 825 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,348 bpd in December, level with its November average, but down 8.3% from a December 2021 average of 2,560 bpd.

Other fields had month-over-month declines.

CIE’s Redoubt Shoal averaged 521 bpd in December, down 72 bpd, 12.1%, from a November average of 593 bpd and down 51% from a December 2021 average of 1,062 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 746 bpd in December (662 bpd of crude and 84 bpd of NGLs), down 51 bpd (all crude), 6.5%, from a November average of 798 bpd and down 1.6% from a December 2021 average of 758 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River averaged 2,852 bpd in December, down 36 bpd, 1.2%, from a November average of 2,887 bpd but up 6.7% from a December 2021 average of 2,674 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 506 bpd in December, down 22 bpd, 4.1%, from a November average of 528 bpd and down 9.2% from a December 2021 average of 558 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 5%

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.

In December, 79.5% of Cook Inlet gas was produced from six large fields (each accounting for 5% or more of current-month production) — Ninilchik, Beluga, North Cook Inlet, McArthur River, Kenai and Kitchen Lights — with 15 smaller fields accounting for the other 20.5%.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 48,149 mcf per day in December, 21.4% of inlet production, up 10,943 mcf per day, 29.4%, from a November average of 37,206 mcf per day and up 56.2% from a December 2021 average of 30,830 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga field (majority owner Chugach Electric Association) averaged 40,023 mcf per day in December, 17.8% of inlet production, up 7,062 mcf per day, 21.4%, from a November average of 32,961 mcf per day and up 39.7% from a December 2021 average of 28,645 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 39,977 mcf per day in December, 17.7% of inlet production, down 1,494 mcf per day, 3.6%, from a November average of 41,471 mcf per day and up 23.3% from a December 2021 average of 32,414 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Kenai field averaged 23,411 mcf per day in December, 10.4% of inlet production, down 181 mcf per day, 0.8%, from a November average of 23,592 mcf per day and down 18.8% from a December 2021 average of 28,819 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River averaged 16,296 mcf per day, 7.2% of inlet production, down 131 mcf per day, 0.8%, from a November average of 16,427 mcf per day and down 19.6% from a December 2021 average of 20,277 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 11,431 mcf per day in December, 5.1% of inlet production, up 84 mcf per day, 0.7%, from a November average of 11,347 mcf per day and down 3.9% from a December 2021 average of 11,900 mcf per day.

Smaller fields range from those producing as much as 4.5% of inlet gas in December to those producing less than 1%.

Hilcorp’s Beaver creek averaged 10,193 mcf per day in December, up 377 mcf, 3.8%, from a November average of 9,815 mcf per day and up 20.3% from a December 2021 average of 8,475 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 7,351 mcf per day in December, down 2,379 mcf, 24.5%, from a November average of 9,730 mcf per day but up 2.3% from a December 2021 average of 7,183 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 6,505 mcf per day in December, down 255 mcf, 3.8%, from a November average of 6,761 mcf per day and up 63% from a December 2021 average of 3,990 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 5,735 mcf per day in December, down 2,174 mcf, 27.5%, from a November average of 7,909 mcf per day and down 52.9% from a December 2021 average of 12,172 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 4,256 mcf per day in December, down 96 mcf, 2.2%, from a November average of 4,352 mcf per day but up 34.8% from a December 2021 average of 3,157 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,326 mcf per day in December, down 38 mcf, 1.1%, from a November average of 3,364 mcf per day and down 5.8% from a December 2021 average of 3,532 mcf per day.

Vision Operating’s North Fork averaged 3,068 mcf per day, down 65 mcf, 2.1%, from a November average of 3,133 mcf per day and down 6.9% from a December 2021 average of 3,296 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 2,089 mcf per day in December, down 930 mcf, 30.8%, from a November average of 3,019 mcf per day and down 49.3% from a December 2021 average of 4,118 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field at Cosmopolitan averaged 1,751 mcf per day in December, up 277 mcf, 18.8%, from a November average of 1,474 mcf per day but down 6.9% from a December 2021 average of 1,881 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 771 mcf per day in December, up 96 mcf, 14.3%, from a November average of 675 mcf per day but down 50.4% from a December 2021 average of 1,556 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 492 mcf per day in December, down 58 mcf, 10.5%, from a November average of 550 mcf per day and down 51.8% from a December 2021 average of 1,022 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 239 mcf per day in December, down 8 mcf, 3.3%, from a November average of 247 mcf per day and down 15.6% from a December 2021 average of 283 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 167 mcf per day in December, down 182 mcf, 52.3%, from a November average of 349 mcf per day and down 37.6% from a December 2021 average of 267 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy’s Redoubt Shoal averaged 125 mcf per day in December, down 10 mcf, 7.1%, from a November average of 136 mcf per day and down 43.6% from a December 2021 average of 222 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

CIE’s West McArthur River averaged 86 mcf per day in December, up 16 mcf, 23.4%, from a November average of 70 mcf per day and up 50.9% from a December 2021 average of 57 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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