EIA forecasts 1999, 2000 declines in ANS production

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said Aug. 6 that oil production from Alaska is expected to decrease by 8.03 percent in 1999, and again by 10.7 percent in 2000.

The EIA noted that a substantial portion of Alaska oil production comes from the giant Prudhoe Bay field. Other than routine maintenance, the EIA said, no major investments are planned for this field during the forecast period.

Oil production from recent discoveries such as Sambuca and Midnight Sun is expected to partially offset the decline in oil production from Prudhoe Bay and other North Slope fields in 1999.

A large-scale enhanced oil recovery project initiated in September 1996 in the Kuparuk River field — the second largest producing field in the nation — is expected to help stabilize production from that field. Kuparuk, including production from West Sak, Tabasco and Tarn, is expected to stay at an average of 287,500 barrels per day in the 1999-2000 forecast period.

Alaska is expected to account for 16.16 percent of total U.S. oil production in 2000.