February ANS production down marginally from January

Kristen Nelson

Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 943,766 barrels per day in February, down 0.4 percent from a January average of 947,621 bpd.

BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Endicott, down 11.9 percent from January, had the largest percentage drop, averaging 21,043 bpd in February compared to 23,886 bpd in January.

BP-operated Milne Point was down 11.6 percent, averaging 43,716 bpd in February vs. 49,440 bpd in January. The Alaska Department of Revenue said there was plant compressor work at Milne Point Feb. 3.

Northstar production averaged 63,418 bpd in February, down 6.7 percent from an average of 67,999 bpd in January. Revenue listed three events affecting production at the BP-operated field, beginning with a master valve replacement Feb. 3, followed by state safety valve testing, with field production dropping to 51,524 bpd. On Feb. 7 there was a low compressor shut-down and on Feb. 14 there was a rig move at the field with subsequent crude oil stabilizer flush, with production dropping to 5,220 bpd.

For the last 10 days of the month Northstar ran at more than 71,000 bpd.

ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine averaged 119,348 bpd in February, barely below the field’s January average of 119,385 bpd.

BP-operated Lisburne (including production from Point McIntyre and Niakuk) averaged 46,707 bpd in February, up 4.1 percent from a January average of 44,864 bpd.

All fields on the North Slope had some level of decreased output in January due to high winds early in the month.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field (including production from West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm) averaged 194,518 bpd in February, up 3.9 percent from a January average of 187,306 bpd. BP-operated Prudhoe Bay (including production from Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion) averaged 455,016 bpd in February, just above January production of 454,741 bpd.

The North Slope temperature at Pump Station No. 1 on the trans-Alaska pipeline averaged minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit in February, compared to a three-year average of minus 15.9 degrees.

Cook Inlet oil production from all fields averaged 18,986 bpd, down 16.3 percent from a January average of 22,692 bpd.