April ANS averages 482,310 bpd, down 0.5%

Prudhoe Bay has largest month-over-month decline, down 2.9%, down 1.9% year-over-year; Colville River has largest gain, up 9.9%

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 482,310 barrels per day in April, down 2,629 bpd, 0.5%, from a March average of 484,939 bpd and down 1.7% from an April 2022 average of 490,741 bpd. Crude averaged 426,014 bpd, 88.3% of the total, down 538 bpd, 0.1%, from an April average of 426,551 bpd and down 1.3% from an April 2022 average of 431,681 bpd. Natural gas liquids averaged 56,296 bpd in April, 11.7% of the total, down 2,091 bpd, 3.6%, from a March average of 58,387 bpd and down 4.7% from an April 2022 average of 59,061 bpd.

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

Prudhoe

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.

Eni's Nikaitchuq averaged 15,920 bpd in April, down 449 bpd, 2.7%, from a March average of 16,369 bpd and down 11.7% from an April 2022 average of 18,034 bpd.

The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field was down marginally month-over-month, averaging 78,231 bpd, down 21 bpd, 0.03%, from a March average of 78,252 bpd and down 4.7% from an April 2022 average of 82,090 bpd.

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

Colville River

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

There is production from five pads at Colville, and the month-over-month increase was most visible at CD2, which accounted for 13.6% of Colville production in March and 15.7% in April, and CD3, which accounted for 14.1% of Colville production in March and 15.4% in April. CD5 continues to account for the bulk of Colville production, 49.6% in April and 50.8% in March.

Year-over-year the largest change was at CD4, where ConocoPhillips has its ultra-extended-reach CD4-595 in production. CD4 accounted for 10.8% of Colville production in April 2022 and 16% in April 2023.

Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 39,629 bpd in April, up 655 bpd, 1.7%, from a March average of 38,974 bpd and up 8.5% from an April 2022 average of 36,529 bpd.

ConocoPhillips' Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 12,772 bpd in April, up 561 bpd, 4.6%, from a March average of 12,211 bpd, but down 26.9% from an April 2022 average of 17,480 bpd, with 76.5% of production from the GMTU-2 pad (the Rendezvous pool) and 23.5% from the GMTU-1 pad (the Lookout pool).

Eni's Oooguruk averaged 7,488 bpd in April, up 529 bpd, 7.6%, from a March average of 6,959 bpd and up 49.8% from an April 2022 average of 5,000 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Endicott averaged 6,294 bpd in April, up 376 bpd, 6.4%, from a March average of 5,919 bpd but down 11% from an April 2022 average of 7,074 bpd. Crude at Endicott averaged 5,551 bpd in April, 88.2% of the total, up 318 bpd, 6.1%, from a March average of 5,232 bpd, but down 6.9% from an April 2022 average of 5,958 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 744 bpd in April, 11.8% of the total, up 57 bpd, 8.4%, from a March average of 686 bpd but down 33.4% from an April 2022 average of 1,116 bpd.

The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson field averaged 6,279 bpd in April, up 112 bpd, 1.8%, from a March average of 6,167 bpd but down 31.2% from an April 2022 average of 9,121 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 6,628 bpd in April, up 55 bpd, 0.8%, from a March total of 6,572 bpd, but down 14.6% from an April 2022 average of 7,760 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 3,558 bpd in April, 53.7% of the total, down 46 bpd, 1.3%, from a March average of 3,604 bpd and down 17.5% from an April 2022 average of 4,313 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 3,070 bpd in April, 46.3% of the total, up 101 bpd, 3.4%, from a March average of 2,968 bpd but down 10.9% from an April 2022 average of 3,447 bpd.

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 505 bpd in April, flat from March, and down 48.8% from an April 2022 average of 986 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Cook Inlet down 2.7%

Hilcorp Alaska's Beaver Creek averaged 399 bpd in April, down 52 bpd, 11.6%, from a March average of 451 bpd and down 55.2% from an April 2022 average of 891 bpd.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,244 bpd in April, down 37 bpd, 1.6%, from a March average of 2,282 bpd and down 7.4% from an April 2022 average of 2,423 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 718 bpd in April, down 9 bpd, 1.3%, from a March average of 727 bpd and down 5.6% from an April 2022 average of 760 bpd.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 2,539 bpd in April, down 256 bpd, 5.1%, from a March average of 2,795 bpd and down 11.5% from an April 2022 average of 2,870 bpd.

Cook Inlet Energy's Redoubt Shoal averaged 600 bpd in April, up 63 bpd, 11.8%, from a March average of 537 bpd, but down 47% from an April 2022 average of 1,132 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 757 bpd in April (700 bpd crude and 57 bpd NGLs), down 12 bpd, 1.6%, from a March average of 769 bpd and down 12.7% from an April 2022 average of 867 bpd.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 852 bpd in April, up 45 bpd, 5.6%, from a March average of 806 bpd, but down 0.7% from an April 2022 average of 858 bpd.

CIE's West McArthur River averaged 401 bpd in April, up 19 bpd, 4.9%, from a March average of 382 bpd and up 128.9% from an April 2022 average of 175 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 down 2.6%

This data is from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which reports production on a month-delay basis. For natural gas AOGCC reports measurements in thousands of cubic feet, mcf.

Some 78% of inlet gas in April came from the six largest fields, those producing 10,000 mcf per day or more.

Hilcorp Alaska's Ninilchik averaged 43,214 mcf per day in April, 20.6% of the inlet total, down 2,943 mcf per day, 6.4%, from a March average of 46,157 mcf per day but up 32.9% from an April 2022 average of 32,528 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 38,539 mcf per day in April, 18.4% of inlet total, down 2,135 mcf per day, 5.3%, from a March average of 40,674 mcf per day but up 35.9% from an April 2022 average of 28,360 mcf per day.

Hilcorp-operated Beluga River averaged 35,447 mcf per day in April, 16.9% of inlet total, down 1,837 mcf per day, 4.9%, from a March average of 37,284 mcf per day but up 10% from an April 2022 average of 32,226 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai gas field averaged 20,241 mcf per day in April, 9.7% of inlet total, down 1,401 mcf per day, 6.5%, from a March average of 21,642 mcf per day and down 21.8% from an April 2022 average of 25,887 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 15,492 mcf per day in April, 7.4% of inlet total, down 280 mcf per day, 1.8%, from a March average of 15,773 mcf per day and down 16.6% from an April 2022 average of 18,577 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 10,388 mcf per day in April, 5% of inlet production, up 26 mcf per day, 0.3%, from a March average of 10,362 mcf per day, but down 9.7% from an April 2022 average of 11,500 mcf per day.

The remaining 15 fields with gas production in April produced a combined 22% of inlet gas.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 9,428 mcf per day in April, up 4,120 mcf per day, 77.6%, from a March average of 5,309 mcf per day, but down 18.5% from an April 2022 average of 11,561 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 8,882 mcf per day in April, up 1,255 mcf per day, 16.5%, from a March average of 7,626 mcf per day, but down 6.1% from an April 2022 average of 9,455 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 7,168 mcf per day in April, down 1,009 mcf per day, 12.3%, from a March average of 8,176 mcf per day and down 32.3% from an April 2022 average of 10,586 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 5,626 mcf per day in April, down 321 mcf per day, 5.4%, from a March average of 5,947 mcf per day and down 19.7% from an April 2022 average of 7,006 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 3,929 mcf per day in April, down 60 mcf per day, 1.5%, from a March average of 3,989 mcf per day, but up 24.1% from an April 2022 average of 3,168 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 3,256 mcf per day in April, down 19 mcf per day, 0.6%, from a March average of 3,276 mcf per day and down 6.9% from an April 2022 average of 3,498 mcf per day.

Vision Operating's North Fork averaged 2,479 mcf per day in April, up 4 mcf per day, 0.2%, from a March average of 2,475 mcf per day but down 21.7% from an April 2022 average of 3,167 mcf per day.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 1,854 mcf per day in April, down 440 mcf per day, 19.2%, from a March average of 2,295 mcf per day and down 49.4% from an April 2022 average of 3,665 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 1,420 mcf per day in April, down 25 mcf per day, 1.8%, from a March average of 1,446 mcf per day and down 9.2% from an April 2022 average of 1,564 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 1,212 mcf per day in April, down 89 mcf per day, 6.9%, from a March average of 1,301 mcf per day and down 1.1% from an April 2022 average of 1,224 mcf per day.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 258 mcf per day in April, down 246 mcf per day, 48.8%, from a March average of 503 mcf per day and down 29.1% from an April 2022 average of 364 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 214 mcf per day in April, down 154 mcf per day, 41.8%, from a March average of 367 mcf per day and down 73.1% from an April 2022 average of 795 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 198 mcf per day in April, down 45 mcf per day, 18.5%, from a March average of 243 mcf per day but up 68.9% from an April 2022 average of 117 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's Redoubt Shoal averaged 156 mcf per day in April, up 24 mcf per day, 18.3%, from a March average of 132 mcf per day but down 30.6% from an April 2022 average of 225 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

CIE's West McArthur River averaged 98 mcf per day in April, up 6 mcf per day, 6.6%, from a March average of 92 mcf per day and up 168.1% from an April 2022 average of 37 mcf per day.

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

-KRISTEN NELSON

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