ANS January production down 5% from 2020

Month-over-month decline less than 1%, 1% crude decline and 2.5% increase in natural gas liquids; Cook Inlet down 21% from 2020

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 504,078 barrels per day in January, down 3,107 bpd, 0.6%, from a December average of 507,185 bpd and down 4.75% from a January 2020 average of 529,217 bpd.

Crude oil production, 88.7% of the volume, averaged 447,298 bpd in January, down 4,500 bpd, 1%, from a December average of 451,798 bpd and down 4.5% from a January 2020 average of 468,446 bpd.

Natural gas liquids production averaged 56,780 bpd, up 2.5%, 1,393 bpd, from a December total of 55,387 bpd but down 6.6% from a January 2020 average of 60,770 bpd.

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

Prudhoe

Prudhoe volumes include crude oil, 80.8% of the field’s total, and NGLs. January crude production at Prudhoe averaged 223,044 bpd, down 4,031 bpd, 1.8%, from a December average of 227,076 bpd and down 0.2% from a January 2020 average of 223,474 bpd.

NGL production at Prudhoe averaged 52,993 bpd in January, down 0.4%, 194 bpd, from a December average of 53,186 bpd and down 6.3% from a January 2020 average of 56,530 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.

Endicott, Colville, Milne, also down

The Hilcorp-operated Endicott field averaged 5,774 bpd in January, down 20%, 1,444 bpd, from a December average of 7,219 bpd and down 18.8% from a January 2020 average of 7,100 bpd. Endicott volumes include 88.1% crude and 11.9% NGLs. Crude production at the field averaged 5,089 bpd in January, down 1,173 bpd, 18.7%, from a December average of 6,262 bpd and down 18% from a January 2020 average of 6,211 bpd. NGL production averaged 685 bpd in January, down 271 bpd, 28.4%, from a December average of 956 bpd and down 23.7% from a January 2020 average of 898 bpd.

ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Colville River field averaged 43,879 bpd in January, down 710 bpd, 1.6%, from a December average of 44,589 bpd and down 18.7% from a January 2020 average of 53,984 bpd.

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

Hilcorp’s Milne Point field averaged 35,566 bpd in January, down 418 bpd, 1.2%, from a December average of 35,984 bpd but up 12.1% from a January 2020 average of 31,729 bpd.

Badami, operated by Savant, a Glacier Oil & Gas company, averaged 1,538 bpd in January, down 84 bpd, 5.2%, from a December average of 1,622 bpd but up 9.1% from a January 2020 average of 1,410 bpd.

Eni’s Oooguruk averaged 7,555 bpd in January, down 53 bpd, 0.7%, from a December average of 7,608 bpd and down 17.6% from a January 2020 average of 9,173 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth field in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 3,457 bpd in January, down 16 bpd, 0.5%, from a December average of 3,473 bpd and down 34.3% from a January 2020 average of 5,264 bpd.

Volumes up at Northstar, Point Thomson and Nikaitchuq

The largest was at Hilcorp’s Northstar field, which averaged 8,722 bpd in January, up 1,812 bpd, 26.2%, from a December average of 6,910 bpd although down 15.1% from a January 2020 average of 10,271 bpd. Northstar has the largest percentage, 35.6%, of NGLs of any North Slope field, averaging 3,102 bpd in January, up 1,858 bpd, 149.3%, from a December average of 1,244 bpd but down 7.2% from a January 2020 average of 3,342 bpd. Crude production at Northstar averaged 5,620 bpd in January, down 46 bpd, 0.8%, from a December average of 5,666 and down 18.9% from a January 2020 average of 6,929 bpd.

The ExxonMobil Production-managed Point Thomson field averaged 8,921 bpd in January, up 16.7%, 1,277 bpd, from a December average of 7,644 bpd and up 68.6% from a January 2020 average of 5,292 bpd.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 96,527 bpd in January, up 501 bpd, 0.5%, from a December average of 96,026 bpd but down 7.8% from a January 2020 average of 104,716 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 16,101 bpd in January, up 1.6%, 252 bpd, from a December average of 15,849 bpd, but down 20.6% from a January 2020 average of 20,265 bpd.

Cook Inlet down 1.5%

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 51 bpd in January, down 75 bpd, 59.4%, from a December average of 127 bpd and down 76.9% from an average of 222 in January 2020.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,865 bpd in January, down 39 bpd, 1.4%, from a December average of 2,904 and down 13.4% from a January 2020 average of 3,308 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 1,018 bpd in January, up 91 bpd, 9.8%, from a December average of 927 bpd but down 5.2% from a January 2020 average of 1,073 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field, Cook Inlet’s largest, accounting for just over a third of inlet production, averaged 3,823 bpd in January, down 2.7%, 107 bpd, from a December average of 3,930 bpd and down 14% from a January 2020 average of 4,447 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 1,272 bpd in January, up 0.9%, 12 bpd, from a December average of 1,260 bpd and up 3.3% from a January 2020 average of 1,231 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River field averaged 816 bpd in January, up 1%, 8 bpd, from a December average of 808 bpd and up 5.9% from a January 2020 average of 770 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,151 bpd in January, down 4.6%, 55 bpd, from a December average of 1,206 bpd and down 14.4% from a January 2020 average of 1,345 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 down marginally in January

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.

Some 85% of Cook Inlet natural gas comes from the inlet’s eight largest fields.

Hilcorp’s Kenai gas field averaged 48,727 mcf per day in January, some 22% of total inlet production, up 7.2%, 3,254 mcf per day, from a December average of 45,473 mcf per day and up 46% from a January 2020 average of 33,368 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik field averaged 31,284 mcf per day in January, some 14% of inlet production, down 0.1%, 43 mcf per day, from a December average of 31,326 mcf per day and down 19.4% from a January 2020 average of 38,800 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River field, the inlet’s largest oil field, averaged 25,137 mcf per day in January, some 11% of inlet gas production, down 10.5%, 2,959 mcf per day, from a December average of 28,096 mcf per day but up 16.3% from a January 2020 average of 21,610 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 23,972 mcf per day in January, some 11% of inlet production, up 77 mcf per day, 0.3%, from a December average of 23,895 mcf per day and up 27.7% from a January 2020 average of 18,773 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 18,754 mcf per day in January, some 8% of inlet production, down 3.5%, 688 mcf per day, from a December average of 19,442 mcf per day and down 45.3% from a January 2020 average of 34,283 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet averaged 16,369 mcf per day in January, some 7% of inlet production, down 5.4%, 933 mcf per day, from a December average of 17,302 mcf per day and down 6.6% from a January 2020 average of 17,529 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 14,571 mcf per day in January, some 6.5% of inlet production, down 0.8%, 119 mcf per day, from a December average of 14,690 mcf per day and up 0.5% from a January 2020 average of 14,496 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 12,526 mcf per day in January, some 5.5% of inlet production, up 4.7%, 566 mcf per day, from a December average of 11,961 mcf per day and up 80.4% from a January 2020 average of 6,944 mcf per day.

Smaller gas fields

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 5,568 mcf per day in January, up 7.9%, 410 mcf per day, from a December average of 5,158 mcf per day and up 4.2% from a January 2020 average of 5,344 mcf per day.

The Kenai Loop field, operated by AIX, averaged 5,032 mcf per day in January, down 1%, 53 mcf per day, from a December average of 5,085 mcf per day and down 3.7% from a January 2020 average of 5,223 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,744 mcf per day in January, down 0.8%, 29 mcf per day, from a December average of 3,773 mcf per day but up 13.5% from a January 2020 average of 3,299 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,368 mcf per day in January, down 3.7%, 128 mcf per day, from a December average of 3,496 mcf per day and down 15.8% from a January 2020 average of 3,998 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 3,204 mcf per day in January, up 15.1%, 419 mcf per day, from a December average of 2,784 mcf per day but down 32.6% from a January 2020 average of 4,753 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork field averaged 3,048 mcf per day in January, down 2.5%, 78 mcf per day, from a December average of 3,126 mcf per day and down 5.5% from a January 2020 average of 3,225 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,307 mcf per day in January, up 2.6%, 57 mcf per day, from a December average of 2,250 mcf per day but down 9.2% from a January 2020 average of 2,540 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 953 mcf per day in January, down 2.1%, 21 mcf per day, from a December average of 973 mcf per day and down 35% from a January 2020 average of 1,465 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 387 mcf per day in January, up 1.7%, 6 mcf per day, from a December average of 381 mcf per day and up 74% from a January 2020 average of 222 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 323 mcf per day in January, down 1.5%, 5 mcf per day, from a December average of 328 mcf per day and down 21.8% from a January 2020 average of 414 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 222 mcf per day in January, down 14.8%, 38 mcf per day, from a December average of 260 mcf per day and down 4.4% from a January 2020 average of 232 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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