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August ANS production up 5% from July
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 848,742 barrels per day in August, up 5.14 percent from a July average of 807,255 bpd. The July average, like June, was down due to pipeline shutdowns for summer maintenance.
August production, however, was reduced by warm North Slope temperatures early in the month; warm temperatures reduce gas-handling capacity. Temperatures at Pump Station 1 peaked at 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit Aug. 11; the overall temperature for the month averaged 46.4 degrees F and temperatures were averaging in the 30s by the end of the month.
North Slope production was also reduced Aug. 30 by the beginning of a seven-day shutdown at BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Northstar for compressor work; production from the field began to ramp up Sept. 6.
Northstar had the largest month-to-month production decline, averaging 57,530 bpd in August, down 5.5 percent from a July average of 60,852 bpd.
BP-operated Endicott was the only other North Slope field with a production drop from July to August; the field averaged 20,120 bpd in August, down 3.7 percent from a July average of 20,897 bpd. Production up at most fields ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Alpine, completely down for five days in July for the second pipeline shutdown and then for extended gas compressor work, had the largest August-over-July production increase, up 31.8 percent to an August average of 125,069 bpd after a July average of 94,882 bpd.
BP-operated Milne Point had a 16.7 percent production increase, averaging 38,825 bpd in August compared to 33,275 bpd in July. The Alaska Department of Revenue said BP replaced a generator at Milne Point following the 36-hour pipeline shutdown in July, and the field was expected to be back up in its normal production range by mid-August.
Production from the BP-operated Prudhoe Bay field (including satellites Midnight Sun, Aurora, Polaris, Borealis and Orion) averaged 388,608 bpd in August, up 1.8 percent from a July average of 381,788 bpd.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field (including West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn, Meltwater and Palm) averaged 176,995 bpd in August, up 1.4 percent from a July average of 174,512 bpd.
BP-operated Lisburne (including Point McIntyre and Niakuk) averaged 41,595 bpd, up 1.3 percent from a July average of 41,049 bpd.
Production from all fields in Cook Inlet averaged 19,567 bpd in August, down 9.1 percent from a July average of 21,528 bpd.
—Kristen Nelson
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