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October production up 15.5 percent from September
Kristen Nelson
Alaska North Slope crude oil production averaged 1,096,986 barrels a day in October, up 15.5 percent from an average of 949,809 barrels a day in September. The October average of 1.097 million barrels of liquid production a day compares with 1.230 million barrels a day in October 1998.
ANS oil production averaged 1.046 million barrels a day and Prudhoe Bay natural gas liquids averaged 50,794 barrels a day.
The average temperature at pump station No. 1 was 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit, 4.5 degrees above the state climate center average of 14.9 degrees.
Production was slowed on Oct. 8 by a pinhole leak in process piping at the Lisburne production facility.
The Alaska Department of Revenue Division of Oil and Gas Audit said Nov. 1 that fiscal year-to-date production averaged 1.017 million barrels a day, 0.03 million barrels per day below the production estimate the division released in April. Division figures reflect a fiscal year of June 1 through May 31, rather than the state’s fiscal year of July 1 through June 30, because production equates to revenue in the month that follows.
Prudhoe leads gains Production was up statewide in October.
Prudhoe Bay (Prudhoe Bay and satellites) production averaged 611,288 barrels a day in October, up 21.7 percent (108,913 barrels a day) from an average of 502,375 barrels a day in September. Prudhoe accounted for 54.2 percent of total statewide production last month.
Kuparuk River (Kuparuk River, Tarn, Tabasco) averaged 261,563 barrels a day in October, up 9.9 percent (23,618 barrels a day) from September’s average of 237,945 barrels a day. Kuparuk accounted for 23.2 percent of statewide production in October.
The Lisburne production center (Lisburne, Point McIntyre, Niakuk) averaged 122,548 barrels a day in October, up 8.1 percent (9,185 barrels a day) from an average of 113,363 barrels a day in September. Lisburne accounted for 10.9 percent of statewide production last month.
Smaller fields also up Production at Milne Point averaged 54,002 barrels a day in October, up 5.9 percent (2,990 barrels a day) from a September average of 51,012 barrels a day. Milne Point accounted for 4.8 percent of statewide production in October.
Endicott (Endicott, Eider, Badami) averaged 47,584 barrels a day in October, up 5.5 percent (2,470 barrels a day) from a September average of 45,114 barrels a day. Endicott accounted for 4.2 percent of statewide production last month.
Cook Inlet production averaged 30,006 barrels a day in October, up 7.4 percent (2,061 barrels a day) from a September average of 27,945 barrels a day. Cook Inlet accounted for 2.7 percent of October statewide production.
Alaska production to be down The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration said Nov. 4 that Alaska is expected to account for 15.9 percent of the total U.S. oil production in 2000, down from a projected 17.5 percent in 1999 and from more than 20 percent as recently as 1997. EIA said Alaska oil production is expected to decrease by 10.7 percent in 1999 and again by 9.5 percent in 2000. A substantial portion of the oil production from Alaska comes from the giant Prudhoe Bay field. Other then routine maintenance, EIA said, no major investments are planned for this field during the forecast period. Therefore the agency expects the field to follow a steeper decline during this period.
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