ANS production up slightly led by NGLs

Crude down 0.2%, 956 bpd for April, while natural gas liquids up 5.3%, 2,657 bpd; crude 88.9% of ANS volume, 424,778 of 477,764 bpd

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope liquids production averaged 477,764 barrels per day in April, up 0.36%, 1,701 bpd, over 476,063 bpd in March and up 0.3% from 476,321 bpd in April 2024. ANS crude, 88.91% of the total, averaged 424,778 bpd in April, down 956 bpd, 0.22%, from a March average of 425,734 bpd but up 0.88% from an April 2024 average of 421,083 bpd. ANS natural gas liquids, 11.09% of the total, averaged 52,986 bpd in April, up 2,657 bpd, 5.28%, from a March average of 50,328 bpd but down 4.08% from an April 2024 average of 55,238 bpd.

The North Slope Borough temperature averaged 9.7 degrees F in April, up 4.8 degrees from the 1925-2000 mean, which was 4.9 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.

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

Month-over-month increases

ConocoPhillips is the majority working interest owner at Kuparuk. The only other WIO, ExxonMobil, holds 2.64%.

Hilcorp Alaska's Nikaitchuq averaged 17,527 bpd in April, up 761 bpd, 4.54%, from a March average of 16,766 bpd and up 19.66% from an April 2024 average of 14,648 bpd. Hilcorp Alaska acquired Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk from Eni in November 2024.

Hilcorp Alaska's Endicott averaged 5,835 bpd in April, up 383 bpd, 7.03%, from a March average of 5,452 bpd and up 1.7% from an April 2024 average of 5,738 bpd. Endicott crude, 88.1% of the field's volume, averaged 5,140 bpd in April, up 221 bpd, 4.5%, from a March average of 4,919 bpd and up 2.83% from an April 2024 average of 4,999 bpd. Endicott NGLs, 11.9% of volume, averaged 695 bpd in April, up 162 bpd, 30.36%, from a March average of 533 bpd but down 5.98% from an April 2024 average of 739 bpd.

Mustang Holding's Southern Miluveach averaged 455 bpd in April, up 239 bpd, 110.99%, from a March average of 216 bpd. The field, currently producing from a single well, was not yet in production in April 2024. It came online in December 2024.

Hilcorp Alaska's Oooguruk averaged 6,388 bpd in April, up 198 bpd, 3.2%, from a March average of 6,189 bpd, and up 9.34% from an April 2024 average of 5,842. Hilcorp acquired the field, along with Nikaitchuq, in November 2024.

The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson averaged 4,233 bpd in April, up 8 bpd, 0.19%, from a March average of 4,225, and up 12,229.51% from an April 2024 average of 34 bpd as the field was coming back online after being shut-in for several months due to a pipeline leak. 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%.

Month-over-month declines

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%; operator Hilcorp North Slope holds 27.1%.

ConocoPhillips' Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 16,338 bpd, down 1,640 bpd, 9.12%, from a March average of 17,978 bpd but up 4.26% from an April 2024 average of 15,671 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 46,288 bpd in April, down 786 bpd, 1.67%, from a March average of 47,073 bpd but up 6.59% from an April 2024 average of 43,424 bpd. Milne Point produces primarily from the Schrader Bluff and Kuparuk oil pools, with minor Sag River and Ugnu volumes.

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 2,710 bpd in April, down 388 bpd, 12.53%, from a March average of 3,099 bpd but up 260.56% from an April 2024 average of 752 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 33,370 bpd in April, down 192 bpd, 0.57%, from a March average of 33,562 bpd and down 11.46% from an April 2024 average of 37,689 bpd. In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville includes production from the Nanuq and Qannik oil pools.

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 5,033 bpd in April, down 150 bpd, 2.89%, all crude, from a March average of 5,182 and down 8.69% from an April 2024 average of 5,511 bpd. Northstar crude, 50.76% of the total, averaged 2,554 bpd in April, down 197 bpd, 7.17%, from a March average of 2,752 bpd and down 15.18% from an April 2024 average of 3,012 bpd. Northstar NGLs, 49.24% of the total, averaged 2,478 bpd in April, up 48 bpd, 1.96%, from a March average of 2,431 bpd but down 0.86% from an April 2024 average of 2,500 bpd.

Cook Inlet crude down 2.36%

The only field with a month-over-month increase was Hilcorp Alaska's McArthur River, which averaged 2,358 bpd in April, up 149 bpd, 6.77%, from a March average of 2,209 bpd, although down 9.29% from an April 2024 average of 2,600 bpd.

The largest month-over-month decline was at Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River, which averaged 804 bpd in April, down 90 bpd, 10.03%, from a March average of 894 bpd and down 17.68% from an April average of 977 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 1,792 bpd in April, down 78 bpd, 4.16%, from a March average of 1,870 bpd and down 12.98% from an April 2024 average of 2,060 bpd.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 780 bpd in April, down 77 bpd, 8.96%, from a March average of 857 bpd and down 11.91% from an April 2024 average of 885 bpd.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 518 bpd in April, down 41 bpd, 7.4%, from a March average of 559 bpd and down 20.92% from an April 2024 average of 655 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 107 bpd in April, down 39 bpd, 26.67%, from a March average of 146 bpd and down 59.96% from an April 2024 average of 267 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 521 bpd in April, down 8 bpd, 1.47%, from a March average of 529 bpd and down 22.63% from an April 2024 average of 673 bpd.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 717 bpd in April, down 1 bpd, 0.09%, from a March average of 718 bpd and down 6.58% from an April 2024 average of 768 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 2.34% in April

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 Hilcorp Alaska-operated Beluga River field, majority owned by Chugach Electric Association, averaged 42,281 mcf per day, 21.78% of inlet production, up 176 mcf per day, 0.42%, from a March average of 42,105 mcf per day but down 5.2% from an April 2024 average of 44,602 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 40,238 mcf per day in April, 20.73% of the inlet total, down 929 mcf per day, 2.26%, from a March average of 41,167 mcf per day and down 1.16% from an April 2024 average of 40,711 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 34,249 mcf per day in April, 17.64% of the total, down 4,172 mcf per day, 10.86%, from a March average of 38,421 mcf per day and down 0.59% from an April 2024 average of 34,451 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai averaged 17,719 mcf per day in April, 9.13% of the inlet total, up 938 mcf per day, 5.59%, from a March average of 16,781 mcf per day but down 4.69% from an April 2024 average of 18,592 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 12,539 mcf per day in April, 6.46% of the inlet total, down 599 mcf per day, 4.56%, from a March average of 13,137 mcf per day but up 12.8% from an April 2024 average of 11,116 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 11,414 mcf per day in April, 5.88% of the total, up 223 mcf per day, 1.99%, from a March average of 11,191 mcf per day but down 4.82% from an April 2024 average of 11,992 mcf per day.

Sixteen fields cumulatively accounted for 18.37% of inlet production in April.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 8,259 mcf per day in April, down 2,226 mcf per day, 21.23%, from a March average of 10,486 mcf per day and down 1.75% from an April 2024 average of 8,406 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 5,331 mcf per day in April, up 252 mcf per day, 4.95%, from a March average of 5,080 mcf per day but down 48.15% from an April 2024 average of 10,283 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 4,322 mcf per day in April, down 48 mcf per day, 1.09%, from a March average of 4,370 mcf per day and down 11.68% from an April 2024 average of 4,894 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 3,591 mcf per day in April, up 962 mcf per day, 36.59%, from a March average of 2,629 mcf per day and up 7.71% from an April 2024 average of 3,334 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,689 mcf per day in April, up 3 mcf per day, 0.13%, from a March average of 2,686 mcf per day but down 8.38% from an April 2024 average of 2,935 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 2,294 mcf per day in April, down 176 mcf per day, 7.14%, from a March average of 2,470 mcf per day but up 37.85% from an April 2024 average of 1,664 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 1,913 mcf per day in April, up 734 mcf per day, 62.33%, from a March average of 1,178 mcf per day but down 32.42% from an April 2024 average of 2,830 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Pretty Creek averaged 1,744 mcf per day in April, up 319 mcf per day, 22.42%, from a March average of 1,424 mcf per day; the field had no production in April 2024. In recent years the field has produced sporadically, with recent sustained production beginning last November.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 1,766 mcf per day in April, up 55 mcf per day, 3.21%, from a March average of 1,711 mcf per day but down 14.8% from an April 2024 average of 2,073 mcf per day.

North Fork, which Hilcorp recently took over from Vision Operating, averaged 1,675 mcf per day in April, up 4 mcf per day, 0.21%, from a March average of 1,671 mcf per day but down 12.67% from an April 2024 average of 1,918 mcf per day. April is the first month for which AOGCC shows Hilcorp as operator of the field.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 755 mcf per day in April, down 52 mcf per day, 6.43%, from a March average of 807 mcf per day but up 3.29% from an April 2024 average of 731 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 592 mcf per day in April, up 2 mcf per day, 0.27%, from a March average of 590 mcf per day but down 44.52% from an April 2024 average of 1,066 mcf per day.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 316 mcf per day in April, down 138 mcf per day, 30.4%, from a March average of 454 mcf per day but up 59.62% from an April 2024 average of 198 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 244 mcf per day in April, up 8 mcf per day, 3.33%, from a March average of 236 mcf per day and up 1.74% from an April 2024 average of 240 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas Corp. company.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 133 mcf per day in April, up 26 mcf per day, 24.37%, from a March average of 107 mcf per day but down 19.3% from an April 2024 average of 165 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 43 mcf per day in April, down 11 mcf per day, 19.89%, from a March average of 54 mcf pr day and down 29.9% from an April 2024 average of 61 mcf per day.

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

--KRISTEN NELSON

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