North Slope production down in March

Kristen Nelson

Alaska North Slope production averaged 1,044,306 barrels a day in March, down 1.73 percent from an average of 1,062,742 barrels a day in February.

Average barrels per day dropped by 18,436. Sixty-five percent of that decline, 11,975 barrels a day, came from Kuparuk, where production averaged 239,005 barrels a day in March, down 4.77 percent from an average of 250,980 barrels a day in February. Dawn Patience, ARCO Alaska Inc. spokeswoman, said that the reduced production from Kuparuk in March was due to planned maintenance of gas-lift compressors.

Lisburne production averaged 108,017 barrels a day in March, down 2.2 percent from an average of 110,451 barrels a day in February. Production also declined at Endicott, which averaged 42,101 barrels a day in March, down 2.2 percent from an average of 110,451 barrels a day in February.

Prudhoe Bay production was down 0.63 percent, averaging 601,580 barrels a day in March compared to an average of 605,381 barrels a day in February.

The only field on the North Slope where production increased from February to March was Milne Point, which averaged 53,603 barrels a day in March, up 0.99 percent from an average of 53,075 barrels a day in February.

Prudhoe Bay natural gas liquids production averaged 59,076 barrels a day in March, up 1.38 percent from an average of 58,270 barrels a day in February.

Production in Cook Inlet dropped 0.88 percent to 29,547 barrels a day in March from 29,809 barrels a day in February.