December North Slope production steady

ANS averages 507,185 barrels per day, up marginally from November, down 3.4% from December 2019; Cook Inlet crude production up 2%

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 507,185 barrels per day in December, up 862 bpd, 0.2%, from a November average of 506,323 bpd, but down 3.4% from a December 2019 average of 524,914 bpd.

Crude production, accounting for 89.1% of ANS barrels, averaged 451,798 bpd in December, down 0.3%, 1,238 bpd, from a November average of 453,036 and down 3.3% from a December 2019 average of 467,224 bpd. ANS natural gas liquids averaged 55,387 bpd in December, up 3.9%, 2,100 bpd, from a November average of 53,287 bpd, but down 4% from a December 2019 average of 57,688 bpd.

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

The largest month-over-month per-barrel increase was at the Slope’s largest field, Prudhoe Bay, operated by Hilcorp North Slope, which averaged 280,262 bpd in December, up 2.6%, 7,140 bpd, from a November average of 273,122 bpd, and up 1% from a December 2019 average of 277,402 bpd. Prudhoe crude oil production, which accounted for 81% of the field’s production, averaged 227,076 bpd in December, up 2.3%, 5,087 bpd, from a November average of 221,988 bpd and up 1.5% from a December 2019 average of 223,779 bpd. Prudhoe NGL production averaged 53,186 bpd in December, up 4%, 2,053 bpd, from a November average of 51,133, but down 0.8% from a December 2019 average of 53,623 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.

Other fields with month-over-month volume increases include Endicott, Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk.

Eni’s Nikaitchuq averaged 15,849 bpd in December, up 3.8%, 574 bpd, from a November average of 15,275 bpd, but down 22.9% from a December 2019 average of 20,564 bpd.

Eni’s Oooguruk averaged 7,608 bpd in December, up 6.2%, 442 bpd, from a November average of 7,166 bpd, but down 6.9% from a December 2019 average of 8,170 bpd.

The Hilcorp Alaska managed Endicott field averaged 7,219 bpd in December, up 88 bpd, 1.2%, from a November average of 7,131 bpd, but down 3.1% from a December 2019 average of 7,446 bpd. Endicott crude oil production, 86.8% of the field’s production, averaged 6,262 bpd in December, up 2.1%, 131 bpd, from a November average of 6,131 bpd but down 3.3% from a December 2019 average of 6,474 bpd. Endicott NGL production averaged 956 bpd in December, down 4.3%, 43 bpd, from a November average of 999 bpd, and down 1.6% from a December 2019 average of 972 bpd.

Month-over-month declines

The smallest was at the Hilcorp-operated Northstar field, which averaged 6,910 bpd in December, down 1 bpd from a November average of 6,912 bpd, and down 32.9% from a December 2019 average of 10,304 bpd. Northstar crude oil production, 82% of the field’s volume, averaged 5,666 bpd in December, down 1.6%, 92 bpd, from a November average of 5,768 bpd, and down 21.4% from a December 2019 average of 7,211 bpd. Northstar NGL production averaged 1,244 bpd in December, up 7.8%, 90 bpd, from a November average of 1,154 bpd, but down 59.8% from a December 2019 volume of 3,093 bpd.

ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 3,473 bpd in December, down 7 bpd, 0.2%, from a November average of 3,480 bpd, and down 44.8% from a December 2019 average of 6,297 bpd.

Badami, operated by Savant Alaska, a Glacier Oil and Gas company, averaged 1,622 bpd in December, down 195 bpd, 10.7%, from a November average of 1,817 bpd, but up 20% from a December 2019 average of 1,351 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Milne Point averaged 35,984 bpd in December, down 0.7%, 266 bpd, from a December average of 36,249, but up 19.5% from a December 2019 average of 30,124 bpd.

Point Thomson, operated by ExxonMobil Production, averaged 7,644 bpd in December, down 11.6%, 1,003 bpd, from a November average of 8,646 bpd, but up 39.2% from a December 2019 average of 5,491 bpd.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 96,026 bpd in December, down 1.8%, 1,726 bpd, from a November average of 97,752 bpd, and down 6.6% from a December 2019 average of 102,825 bpd. In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Meltwater, Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.

ConocoPhillips’ Colville River averaged 44,589 bpd in December, down 4,185 bpd, 8.6%, from a November average of 48,773 bpd and down 18.8% from a December 2019 average of 54,941 bpd.

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

Cook Inlet up marginally

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 127 bpd in December, down 7 bpd, 5.3%, from a November average of 134 bpd and down 36.1% from a December 2019 average of 198 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,904 bpd in December, down 54 bpd, 1.8%, from a November average of 2,958 bpd and down 12.2% from a December 2019 average of 3,306 bpd.

The Hansen field at Cosmopolitan, operated by BlueCrest, averaged 927 bpd in December, up 10 bpd, 1.1%, from a November average of 917 bpd, but down 21.5% from a December 2019 average of 1,181 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, Cook Inlet’s largest oil field, averaged 3,930 bpd in December, up 87 bpd, 2.3%, from a November average of 3,843 bpd but down 11% from a December 2019 average of 4,414 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 1,260 bpd in December, up 18 bpd, 1.5%, from a November average of 1,242 bpd, but down 0.3% from a December 2019 average of 1,263 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 808 bpd in December, up 19 bpd, 2.4%, from a November average of 789 bpd, and up 9.6% from a December 2019 average of 737 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,206 bpd in December, up 149 bpd, 14.1%, from a November average of 1,057 bp0d but down 7.8% from a December 2019 average of 1,309 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.

Inlet gas production down marginally

Data are 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 85.1% of Cook Inlet natural gas production came from the eight largest fields.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Kenai gas field averaged 45,473 mcf per day, 20.1% of inlet gas production, down 464 mcf per day, 1%, from a November average of 45,937 mcf but up 35.9% from a December 2019 average of 33,463 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik averaged 31,327 mcf per day, 13.9% of inlet gas production, up 1,535 mcf per day, 5.2%, from a November average of 29,791 mcf, but down 5.1% from a December 2019 average of 33,017 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, the inlet’s largest oil producer, averaged 28,096 mcf per day in December, 12.4% of inlet gas production, down 3,197 mcf per day, 10.2%, from a November average of 31,293 mcf, but up 26.6% from a December 2019 average of 22,188 mcf per day.

Beluga River, operated by Hilcorp, averaged 23,895 mcf per day in December, 10.6% of inlet gas production, down 293 mcf per day, 1.2%, from a November average of 24,188 mcf, but up 17% from a December 2019 average of 20,416 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 19,442 mcf per day in December, 8.6% of inlet gas production, down 611 mcf, 3.1%, from a November average of 20,053 mcf, and down 36.1% from a December 2019 average of 30,436 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 17,302 mcf per day in December, 7.7% of inlet gas production, down 358 mcf, 2%, from a November average of 17,661 mcf and down 0.7% from a December 2019 average of 17,421 mcf per day.

Kitchen Lights, operated by Furie, averaged 14,690 mcf per day in December, 6.5% of inlet gas production, up 1,391 mcf, 10.5%, from a November average of 13,299 mcf, but down 0.7% from a December 2019 average of 14,797 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 11,961 mcf per day in December, 5.3% of inlet gas production, down 1,848 mcf, 13.4%, from a November average of 13,809 mcf, but up 62.8% from a November 2019 average of 7,347 mcf per day.

Smaller inlet gas fields

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 6,169 mcf per day in December, up 2,488 mcf, 67.6%, from a November average of 3,682 mcf, and up 1777.4% from a December 2019 average of 329 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 5,158 mcf per day in December, up 178 mcf, 3.6%, from a November average of 4,981 mcf but down 11.9% from a December 2019 average of 5,854 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 5,085 mcf per day in December, down 0.2%, 10 mcf, from a November average of 5,094 mcf and down 4.5% from a December 2019 average of 5,323 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,773 mcf per day in December, up 0.4%, 15 mcf, from a November average of 3,758 mcf and up 15.5% from a December 2019 average of 3,267 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,496 mcf per day in December, down 3.7%, 133 mcf, from a November average of 3,629 mcf and down 17.2% from a December 2019 average of 4,220 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork averaged 3,126 mcf per day in December, down 1.8%, 58 mcf, from a November average of 3,184 mcf and down 12.8% from a December 2019 average of 3,583 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen averaged 2,784 mcf per day in December, down 2.2%, 62 mcf, from a November average of 2,846 mcf and down 47.4% from a December 2019 average of 5,298 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,250 mcf per day in December, up 15.7%, 305 mcf, from a November average of 1,945 mcf but down 28.6% from a December 2019 average of 3,149 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 381 mcf per day in December, up 21.7%, 68 mcf, from a November average of 313 mcf and up 33.5% from a December 2019 average of 285 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 328 mcf per day in December, down 5%, 17 mcf, from a November average of 345 mcf and down 18.4% from a December 2019 average of 402 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 260 mcf per day in December, up 7.3%, 18 mcf, from a November average of 242 mcf and up 23.1% from a December 2019 average of 211 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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