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ANS February volumes up 1.2% over January
Production averaged 481,904 bpd; largest increase at Greater Mooses Tooth, up 22.4%, 3,567 bpd; no February volumes from Pt Thomson
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
February North Slope production was up 1.2% from January, but down 2.9% from February 2023. The average of 481,904 barrels per day was up 5,785 bpd from a January average of 276,119 bpd but down from a February 2023 average of 496,470 bpd. Crude averaged 423,459 bpd in February, 87.9% of the Slope volume, up 5,462 bpd, 1.3%, from a January average of 417,998 bpd but down 3.1% from a February 2023 average of 437,181 bpd. Natural gas liquids averaged 58,445 bpd in February, 12.1% of the total, up 323 bpd, 0.6%, from a January average of 58,121 bpd, but down 1.4% from a February 2023 average of 59,288 bpd.
Production data come from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission which reports production by field and well on a month delay basis.
The temperature in the North Slope Borough averaged -8 degrees F in February, compared to a 1925-2000 mean of -15.3 degrees. Data on temperature from the county time series maintained by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Month-over-month increases The largest month-over-month increase was from ConocoPhillips Alaska's Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the Slope's newest producing area, where production began in 2018. GMT averaged 19,488 bpd in February, up 3,567 bpd, 22.4%, from a January average of 15,922 bpd and up 23.7% from a February 2023 average of 15,751 bpd. GTM produces from two pads, GMT6, the Lookout pool, which accounted for 7.3% of February production from a single well, and GMT7, the Rendezvous pool, which accounted for 92.7% of GTM production, and had nine wells online, including one new well, GMTU MT7-93.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 78,517 bpd in February up 2.5%, 1,879 bpd, from a January average of 76,638 bpd but down 3% from a February 2023 average of 80,948 bpd. In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.
ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 35,951 bpd in February, up 1,487 bpd, 4.3%, from a January average of 34,464 bpd but down 0.6% from a February 2023 average of 36,170 bpd. In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville includes production from the Nanuq and Qannik oil pools.
Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 42,382 bpd in February, up 1,305 bpd, 3.2%, from a January average of 41,077 bpd and up 6.9% from a February 2023 average of 39,655 bpd. Milne Point produces primarily from the Schrader Bluff and Kuparuk oil pools, with minor Sag River and Ugnu volumes.
Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay averaged 274,089 bpd in February, up 820 bpd, 0.3%, from a January average of 273,269 bpd but down 1.8% from a February 2023 average of 279,166 bpd. Crude volumes from Prudhoe averaged 218,898 bpd in February, 79.9% of the field total, up 370 bpd, 0.2%, from a January average of 218,527 bpd, but down 2.2% from a February 2023 average of 223,718 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs averaged 55,192 bpd in February, 20.1% of the field's total, up 450 bpd, 0.8%, from a January average of 54,742 bpd but down 0.5% from a February 2023 average of 55,448 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.
Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott averaged 6,243 bpd in February, up 26 bpd, 0.4%, from a January average of 6,217 bpd but down 2.1% from a February 2023 average of 6,376 bpd. Endicott crude averaged 5,461 bpd in February, 87.5% of the total, up 98 bpd, 1.8%, from a January average of 5,364 bpd but down 4.2% from a February 2023 average of 5,698 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 782 bpd in February, 12.5% of the total, down 72 bpd, 8.4%, from a January average of 854 bpd, but up 15.3% from a February 2023 average of 678 bpd.
Month-over-month decreases The largest month-over-month decrease was at Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson, where production halted in mid-January following discovery of a leak in the Point Thomson Export Pipeline. Point Thomson had no production in February, following a January average of 1,790 bpd over 14 days prior to discovery of the leak. In February 2023 the field averaged 8,136 bpd.
Eni's Oooguruk averaged 5,161 bpd in February, down 698 bpd, 11.9%, from a January average of 5,859 bpd and down 22.6% from a February 2023 average of 6,670 bpd.
Eni's Nikaitchuq averaged 13,716 bpd in February, down 603 bpd, 4.2%, from a January average of 14,319 bpd and down 15.6% from a February 2023 average of 16,258 bpd.
Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 5,496 bpd in February, down 202 bpd, 3.5%, from a January average of 5,698 bpd and down 19.6% from a February 2023 average of 6,835 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 3,025 bpd in February, 55% of the field's total, down 147 bpd, 4.6%, from a January average of 3,172 bpd and down 17.6% from a February 2023 average of 3,673 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 2,471 bpd in February, 45% of the field's total, down 55 bpd, 2.2%, from a January average of 2,526 bpd and down 21.9% from a February 2023 average of 3,162 bpd.
Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 861 bpd in February, down 5 bpd, 0.7%, from a January average of 867 bpd but up 70.8% from a February 2023 average of 504 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.
Cook Inlet crude up 3% Cook Inlet crude averaged 8,861 bpd in February, up 267 bpd, 3.1%, from a January average of 8,594 bpd but down 2.9% from a February 2023 average of 9,122 bpd.
The largest month-over-month increase was at Cook Inlet Energy's Redoubt Shoal, which averaged 662 bpd in February, up 190 bpd, 40.2%, from a January average of 472 bpd and up 13.2% from a February 2023 average of 585 bpd. A year ago, CIE had two wells producing at Redoubt. A third well, Redoubt Unit 5B, is not new -- it first produced in October 2013 -- but its production has been somewhat sporadic. It was not in production last February, produced part of January and all of this February. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.
Hilcorp Alaska's McArthur River averaged 2,507 bpd in February, up 50 bpd, 2%, from a January average of 2,457 bpd but down 13.6% from a February 2023 average of 2,901 bpd.
Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 911 bpd in February, up 30 bpd, 3.4%, from a January average of 881 bpd and up 8.1% from a February 2023 average of 843 bpd.
BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 689 bpd in February, up 20 bpd, 3%, from a January average of 669 bpd but down 5.8% from a February 2023 average of 732 bpd.
CIE's West McArthur River averaged 874 bpd in February, up 7 bpd, 0.8%, from a January average of 867 bpd and up 99.8% from a February 2023 average of 438 bpd. The biggest year-over-year operational difference is the Sword well -- first produced in November 2013 -- which was not online in February 2023 and was a producer in both January and February of this year. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.
Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,140 bpd in February, up 4 bpd, 0.2%, from a January average of 2,136 bpd but down 6.5% from a February 2023 average of 2,288 bpd.
Production at Hilcorp's Beaver Creek was unchanged month-over-month, averaging 289 bpd in both February and January, although down 47.4% from a February 2023 average of 550 bpd.
Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 789 bpd in February (730 bpd of crude and 59 bpd of NGLs), down 33 bpd, 4.1%, from a January average of 822 bpd but up 0.2% from a February 2023 average of 787 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.
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