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ANS month-over-month production up 4% November averages 556,570 bpd of crude compared to 534,307 bpd in October; biggest increase at Prudhoe Bay, up 7.5% over October Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 556,470 barrels per day in November, up 4.15 percent from an October average of 534,307 bpd, but down 6.2 percent compared to November 2012 when the average was 581,940 bpd.
The largest month-over-month increase, 7.5 percent, was at the Slope’s largest field, BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay, which averaged 321,125 bpd in November, a 22,398-bpd increase over the October average of 298,727 bpd. Prudhoe Bay also had the largest month-over-month increase in October, up 2.6 percent, 7,577 bpd, from a September average of 291,150 bpd.
Prudhoe Bay production includes satellite production from Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun and Polaris, as well as from the BP-operated Northstar and Milne Point fields.
Information for the most recent month comes from the Alaska Department of Revenue’s Tax Division which reports North Slope oil production consolidated by major production centers and provides daily production and monthly averages. More detailed data, including Cook Inlet and individual North Slope fields and pools, is reported by the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on a month-delay basis.
The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field, the second largest on the North Slope, averaged 137,555 bpd in November, up 1.5 percent, 2,039 bpd, from an October average of 135,516 bpd. Kuparuk River production includes satellite production from, Meltwater, NEWS or Northeast West Sak, Tabasco, Tarn and West Sak, as well as production from the Eni-operated Nikaitchuq field and the Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska-operated Oooguruk River field.
AOGCC data for October shows Nikaitchuq production averaged 15,044 bpd in that month, down 2.4 percent, 365 bpd, from a September average of 15,409 bpd, while Oooguruk averaged 6,463 bpd in October, down 14.2 percent, 1,066 bpd, from a September average of 7,530 bpd.
Declines in production Other North Slope fields all saw month-over-month production declines.
The ConocoPhillips-operated Alpine field, the farthest west field on the Slope, averaged 59,837 bpd in November, down 1.9 percent, 1,181 bpd, from an October average of 61,018 bpd. Alpine includes satellite production from Fiord, Nanuq and Qannik. AOGCC data for October shows that 65 percent of Alpine production in that month was from the main field, with 29 percent from Fiord and about 3 percent each from Nanuq and Qannik.
The BP-operated Lisburne field averaged 29,698 bpd in November, down 0.2 percent, 65 bpd, from an October average of 29,763 bpd. Lisburne production includes Niakuk, Point McIntyre and Raven.
The BP-operated Endicott field averaged 8,255 bpd in November, down 11 percent, 1,028 bpd, from an October average of 9,283 bpd. Endicott production includes Eider, Minke and Sag Delta, as well as production from the Savant Alaska-operated Badami field, the farthest east production on the Slope.
AOGCC data for October shows that Badami production averaged 1,235 bpd in that month, marginally down from 1,237 bpd in September.
Cook Inlet production steady AOGCC data for October shows that Cook Inlet crude oil production averaged 16,418 bpd in October, up marginally from a September average of 16,399 bpd.
Two fields, both operated by Hilcorp Alaska, saw month-over-month production increases: Granite Point averaged 2,286 bpd in October, up 1.4 percent from a September average of 2,254 bpd, while Swanson River averaged 2,425 bpd, up 1.6 percent from a September average of 2,388 bpd.
All other Cook Inlet fields were down by at least a few barrels, with the largest per-barrel drop at the Cook Inlet Energy-operated Redoubt Shoal field, which averaged 1,644 bpd in October, down 155 barrels, 8.6 percent, from a September average of 1,799 bpd.
The Cook Inlet Energy-operated West McArthur River field saw the largest percentage drop, down 18.9 percent, averaging 515 bpd in October compared to 634 bpd in September, a difference of 120 bpd.
The Hilcorp-operated Beaver Creek field averaged 137 bpd in October, down 5 percent, 7 bpd, from a September average of 144 bpd.
The Trading Bay field, also operated by Hilcorp, averaged 2,138 bpd in October, down 4.3 percent, 97 bpd, from a September average of 2,234 bpd, while the Hilcorp-operated McArthur River field averaged 4,545 bpd, down 3 percent, 140 bpd, from a September average of 4,685.
Middle Ground Shoal, operated by ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO, averaged 2,198 bpd in September, down 2.7 percent, 61 bpd, from a September average of 2,259 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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