North Slope production down 1% in January

Average 472,413 bpd; Greater Mooses Tooth has major increase; Prudhoe, Milne, Colville River show largest month-over-month declines

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News+

Alaska North Slope production averaged 472,413 barrels per day in January, down 1%, 4,751 bpd, from a December average of 477,164 bpd and down 3.4% from a January 2025 average of 489,022 bpd.

Crude oil accounted for 89.06% of the total, 420,727 bpd, down 4,343 bpd, 1.02%, from a December average of 425,070 bpd and down 2.87% from a January 2025 average of 433,158 bpd. Natural gas liquids made up 10.94% of the total, an average of 51,686 bpd, down 408 bpd, 0.78%, from a December average of 52,093 bpd and down 7.48% from a January 2025 average of 55,864 bpd. The majority of NGLs are from Prudhoe Bay, with smaller volumes from Northstar and Endicott.

Production data come from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission which reports production by field and well on a month delay basis.

The North Slope temperature averaged -11.6 degrees F in January, up by 1.7 degrees F from a 1925-2026 mean of -13.3 degrees F. Temperature data are from the county time series maintained by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, which has North Slope Borough temperatures beginning in 1925.

Fields with increases

There were smaller month-over-month increases at Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk, the two fields Hilcorp Alaska acquired from Eni in November 2024.

Nikaitchuq averaged 13,970 bpd in January, up 367 bpd, 2.7%, from a December average of 13,603, but down 1.82% from a January 2025 average of 14,229 bpd.

Oooguruk averaged 6,526 bpd in January, up 99 bpd, 1.55%, from a December average of 6,426 bpd and up 4.92% from a January 2025 average of 6,220 bpd.

Month-over-month decreases

Crude averaged 204,458 bpd in January, 80.66% of the total, down 3,960 bpd, 1.9%, from a December average of 208,418 bpd and down 3.42% from a January 2025 average of 211,706 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs accounted for 19.34% of the total, averaging 49,036 bpd, down 350 bpd, 0.71%, from a December average of 49,386 bpd and down 7.26% from a January 2025 average of 52,874 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.

ConocoPhillips Alaska holds 36.5% of the working interest ownership at Prudhoe; ExxonMobil Alaska Production holds 36.4%; and operator Hilcorp North Slope holds 27.1%.

Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 48,268 bpd in January, down 1,356 bpd, 2.73%, from a December average of 49,624 bpd and down 0.37% from a January 2025 average of 48,445 bpd.

Milne Point produces primarily from the Schrader Bluff and Kuparuk oil pools, with minor Sag River and Ugnu volumes.

ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 28,544 bpd in January, down 863 bpd, 2.94%, from a December average of 29,408 bpd and down 19.36% from a January 2025 average of 35,399 bpd.

In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville includes production from the Nanuq and Qannik oil pools.

Mustang Holding's Southern Miluveach averaged 726 bpd in January, down 161 bpd, 18.17%, from a December average of 887 bpd but up 18,040.32% from a January 2025 average of 4 bpd, when the field was just coming online.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson averaged 3,994 bpd in January, down 133 bpd, 3.23%, from a December average of 4,138 bpd and down 7.1% from a January 2025 average of 4,299 bpd. Operator Hilcorp holds 36.148% of Point Thomson, with ExxonMobil Alaska Production the majority working interest owner at 61.637% and other owners collectively holding 2.215%.

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 1,594 bpd in January, down 109 bpd, 6.43%, from a December average of 1,703 bpd and down 31.95% from a January 2025 average of 2,342 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

Hilcorp's Endicott averaged 4,893 bpd in January, down 83 bpd, 1.66%, from a December average of 4,975 bpd and down 14.92% from a January 2025 average of 5,750 bpd. The field averaged 4,496 bpd of crude, 91.9% of December production, down 42 bpd, 0.93%, from a December average of 4,539 bpd and down 14.09% from a January 2025 average of 5,233 bpd. Endicott NLG production averaged 396 bpd in January, down 40 bpd, 9.21%, from a December average of 436 bpd and down 23.34% from a January 2025 average of 517 bpd.

Hilcorp's Northstar averaged 4,767 bpd in January, down 47 bpd, 0.98%, from a December average of 4,814 bpd and down 8.28% from a January 2025 average of 5,198 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 2,514 bpd in January, 52.74% of the total, down 30 bpd, 1.16%, from a December average of 2,544 bpd and down 7.71% from a January 2025 average of 2,725. Northstar NGLs averaged 2,253 bpd in January, 47.26% of total production, down 18 bpd, 0.77%, from a December average of 2,271 bpd and down 8.92% from a January 2025 average of 2,474 bpd.

The ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River unit averaged 94,564 bpd in January, level at a loss of just 7 bpd, 0.01%, from a December average of 94,571 bpd but up 14.06% from a January 2025 average of 82,909 bpd.

In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from Coyote, Tabasco, Tarn, Torok and West Sak.

ConocoPhillips is the majority working interest owner at Kuparuk. ExxonMobil, the only other WIO, holds less than 3%.

(Note: There were no reported volumes from well testing at Pikka for January, as the operator works to bring that field into production, accounting for almost one-quarter of the volume reduction from December to January.)

Cook Inlet crude

Hilcorp's McArthur River has the most Cook Inlet crude production, averaging 2,150 bpd in January, down 219 bpd, 9.24%, from a December average of 2,369 bpd but up 13.45% from a January 2025 average of 1,895 bpd.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 1,677 bpd in January, down 46 bpd, 2.7%, from a December average of 1,723 bpd and down 13.67% from a January 2025 average of 1,942 bpd.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 836 bpd in January, down 37 bpd, 4.2%, from a December average of 873 bpd and down 5.14% from a January 2025 average of 882 bpd.

Hilcorp's Swanson averaged 825 bpd (766 bpd of crude and 59 bpd of NGLs) up 73 bpd, 9.75%, from a December average of 752 bpd and up 17.8% from a January 2025 average of 700 bpd.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 812 bpd in January, down 56 bpd from a December average of 869 bpd but up 7.23% from a January 2025 average of 758 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 484 bpd in January, down 21 bpd, 4.14%, from a December average of 505 bpd and down 13.41% from a January 2025 average of 559 bpd.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 480 bpd in January, down 87 bpd, 15.4%, from a December average of 567 bpd and down 3.73% from a January 2025 average of 499 bpd.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 163 bpd in January, up 38 bpd, 30.48%, from a December average of 125 bpd but down 5.33% from a January 2025 average of 173 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.

Cook Inlet gas volumes hold steady

Volumes are calculated from Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission data, reported on a month-delay basis. For natural gas AOGCC reports measurements in thousands of cubic feet, mcf.

The six largest producing fields accounted for 82.07% of inlet production in January, an average of 171,975 mcf per day, with 17 smaller producing fields making up the remainder.

Beluga River, operated by Hilcorp Alaska on behalf of itself and majority working interest owner Chugach Electric Association, averaged 53,676 mcf per day in January, 25.62% of the inlet total, down 1,807 mcf per day, 3.26%, from a December average of 55,483 mcf per day but up 22.28% from a January 2025 average of 43,897 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 40,576 mcf per day in January, 19.36% of inlet production, down 2,775 mcf per day, 6.4%, from a December average of 43,351 mcf per day and down 0.45% from a January 2025 average of 40,761 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 27,370 mcf per day in January, 13.06% of inlet production, down 118 mcf per day, 0.43%, from a December average of 27,489 mcf per day but up 10.39% from a January 2025 average of 24,794 mcf per day.

Furie/HEX's Kitchen Lights averaged 19,598 mcf per day in January, 9.35% of inlet production, up 35 mcf per day, 0.18%, from a December average of 19,563 mcf per day and up 44.35% from a January 2025 average of 13,577 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai averaged 18,106 mcf per day in January, 8.64% of inlet production, up 339 mcf per day, 1.91%, from a December average of 17,767 mcf per day but down 1.51% from a January 2025 average of 18,383 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 12,648 mcf per day in January, 6.04% of inlet production, up 913 mcf per day, 7.78%, from a December average of 11,736 mcf per day and up 13.87% from a January 2025 average of 11,108 mcf per day.

Seventeen smaller producing fields collectively accounted for 17.93% of inlet production in January, including Sterling, which Hilcorp brought back into production in January after a hiatus of more than 10 years -- see story on page 1 of this issue.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 9,207 mcf per day in January, up 2,856 mcf pr day, 44.96%, from a December average of 6,352 mcf per day, but down 5.48% from a January 2025 average of 9,742 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 5,259 mcf per day in January, up 2,858 mcf per day, 119.05%, from a December average of 2,401 mcf per day and up 359.63% from a January 2025 average of 1,144 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 3,807 mcf per day in January, down 38 mcf per day, 0.98%, from a December average of 3,845 mcf per day and down 20.33% from a January 2025 average of 4,778 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 3,332 mcf per day in January, down 125 mcf per day, 3.6%, from a December average of 3,457 mcf per day but up 24.15% from a January 2025 average of 2,684 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Pretty Creek averaged 3,117 mcf per day in January, down 690 mcf per day, 18.11%, from a December average of 3,807 mcf per day but up 3,527.67% from a January 2025 average of 86 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Whiskey Gulch averaged 2,696 mcf per day in January, down 274 mcf, 9.23%, from a December average of 2,970 mcf per day. The field was not online in January 2025.

Hilcorp's North Fork averaged 2,593 mcf per day in January, up 67 mcf pr day, 2.65%, from a December average of 2,526 mcf per day and up 51.28% from a January 2025 average of 1,714 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 2,304 mcf per day in January, down 674 mcf per day, 22.62%, from a December average of 2,978 mcf per day and down 58.61% from a January 2025 average of 5,567 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,281 mcf per day in January, up 26 mcf per day, 1.15%, from a December average of 2,255 mcf per day but down 19.97% from a January 2025 average of 2,851 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 1,388 mcf per day in January, down 158 mcf per day, 10.23%, from a December average of 1,546 mcf per day and down 38.92% from a January 2025 average of 2,273 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 678 mcf per day in January, up 10 mcf per day, 1.52%, from a December average of 667 mcf per day but down 10.22% from a January 2025 average of 755 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 497 mcf per day in January, up 5 mcf per day, 1.08%, from a December average of 492 mcf per day but down 22.83% from a January 2025 average of 644 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 165 mcf per day in January, down 14 mcf per day, 7.89%, from a December average of 179 mcf per day and down 19.22% from a January 2025 average of 204 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 116 mcf per day in January, down 105 mcf per day, 47.49%, from a December average of 221 mcf per day and down 70.47% from a January 2025 average of 393 mcf per day.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 102 mcf per day in January, down 4 mcf per day, 3.49%, from a December average of 105 mcf per day and down 24.98% from a January 2025 average of 136 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Sterling, in a partial first month of production, averaged 24 mcf per day in January.

Cook Inlet natural gas production peaked in 1990 at more than 850,000 mcf per day.

--KRISTEN NELSON

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