Sidebar: Cook Inlet gas production down

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Natural gas production from Cook Inlet averaged 230,855 thousand cubic feet per day in March, down an average of 2,769 mcf per day, 1.2%, from a February average of 233,624 mcf, but up 9.1% from a March 2020 average of 211,619 mcf per day.

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.

The inlet’s nine largest fields accounted for 88.6% of natural gas in March, 204,589 mcf per day.

Hilcorp Alaska’s Kenai gas field accounted for 22.7% of inlet production in March, an average of 52,465 mcf per day, down 5.7%, 3,142 mcf per day, from a February average of 55,606 mcf per day, but up 45.5% from a March 2020 average of 36,060 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik field averaged 30,348 mcf per day in March, 13.2% of inlet gas production, down 0.1%, 39 mcf per day, from a February average of 30,386 mcf per day and down 20.5% from a March 2020 average of 38,154 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River averaged 26,817 mcf per day in March, 11.6% of inlet gas production, up 1.2%, 323 mcf per day, from a February average of 26,494 mcf per day and up 32.3% from a March 2020 average of 20,264 mcf per day.

The Hilcorp-operated Beluga River field averaged 23,767 mcf per day in March, 10.3% of inlet production, down 3.3%, 801 mcf per day, from a February average of 24,568 mcf per day but up 27.9% from a March 2020 average of 18,578 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River field averaged 20,019 mcf per day in March, 8.7% of inlet production, up 6.2%, 1,165 mcf per day, from a February average of 18,853 mcf per day but down 38% from a March 2020 average of 32,265 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet field averaged 14,949 mcf per day in March, 6.5% of inlet production, up 0.1%, 19 mcf per day, from a February average of 14,930 mcf per day and up 6.6% from a March 2020 average of 14,023 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 14,662 mcf per day in March, 6.4% of inlet production, down 2.4%, 362 mcf per day, from a February average of 15,024 mcf per day but up 5.3% from a March 2020 average of 13,927 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River averaged 10,832 mcf per day in March, 4.7% of inlet production, up 9.4%, 931 mcf per day, from a February average of 9,901 mcf per day, and up 2,892.8% from a March 2020 average of 362 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 10,732 mcf per day, 4.7% of inlet production, down 4%, 446 mcf per day, from a February average of 11,178 mcf per day but up 48.1% from a March 2020 average of 7,246 mcf per day.

Contributions to inlet production from smaller fields range from 2.2% to 0.1%.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop field averaged 5,126 mcf per day in March, up 6.4%, 308 mcf per day, from a February average of 4,818 mcf per day and up 6.1% from a March 2020 average of 4,829 mcf per day.

AIX’s Kenai Loop field averaged 4,814 mcf per day in March, down 2.4%, 120 mcf per day, from a February average of 4,934 mcf per day and down 8.2% from a March 2020 average of 5,241 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,673 mcf per day in March, up 2%, 70 mcf per day, from a February average of 3,603 mcf per day and up 5.5% from a March 2020 average of 3,483 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork averaged 3,045 mcf per day in March, up 0.3%, 8 mcf per day, from a February average of 3,037 mcf per day but down 16% from a March 2020 average of 3,625 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,012 mcf per day in March, down 1.3%, 39 mcf per day, from a February average of 3,051 mcf per day and down 26.4% from a March 2020 average of 4,092 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 2,371 mcf per day in March, down 28.4%, 938 mcf per day, from a February average of 3,309 mcf per day and down 42.9% from a March 2020 average of 4,154 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,180 mcf per day in March, up 7.1%, 144 mcf per day, from a February average of 2,037 mcf per day but down 25.3% from a March 2020 average of 2,920 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,096 mcf per day in March, up 0.1%, 1 mcf per day, from a February average of 1,095 mcf per day and up 0.6% from a March 2020 average of 1,090 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 395 mcf per day in March, up 48.8%, 130 mcf per day, from a February average of 266 mcf per day and up 40.4% from a March 2020 average of 282 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 335 mcf per day in March, down 5.5%, 19 mcf per day, from a February average of 354 mcf per day and down 20.5% from a March 2020 average of 421 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 218 mcf per day in March, up 20.4%, 37 mcf per day, from a February average of 182 mcf per day but down 17.5% from a March 2020 average of 265 mcf per day.

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

- KRISTEN NELSON