February ANS production flat from January

At average 504,460 bpd, down 3.4% from February 2020; Cook Inlet production also flat from January, but down 22% year-over-year

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 504,460 barrels per day in February, up 382 bpd, 0.1%, from a January average of 504,078 bpd and down 3.4% from a February 2020 average of 522,421 bpd.

Crude oil was 88.4% of the ANS total, averaging 445,713 bpd in February, down 1,585 bpd, 0.4%, from a January average of 447,298 bpd and down 3.6% from a February 2020 average of 452,549 bpd.

Natural gas liquids, 11.7% of the total, averaged 58,747 bpd in February, up 1,967 bpd, 3.5%, from a January average of 56,780 bpd and down 1.9% from a February 2020 total of 59,872 bpd.

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

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

The largest month-over-month percentage increase was at the Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott field, which averaged 6,772 bpd in February, up 17.3%, 997 bpd, from a January average of 5,774 bpd but down 6.3% from a February 2020 average of 7,225 bpd. Crude oil at Endicott, 88.1% of the field’s production, averaged 5,963 bpd in February, up 17.2%, 874 bpd, from a January average of 5,089 bpd but down 5.6% from a February 2020 average of 6,316 bpd. NGL production averaged 809 bpd in February, 11.9% of the field’s production, up 18.1%, 124 bpd, from a January average of 685 bpd but down 11% from a February 2020 average of 909 bpd.

Production at Hilcorp’s Northstar field averaged 9,563 bpd in February, up 9.6%, a gain of 840 bpd, from a January average of 8,722 bpd, but down 3.7% from a February 2020 average of 9,925 bpd. Crude oil production at Northstar, 59.1% of the field’s production, averaged 5,650 bpd, up 30 bpd, 0.5%, from a January average of 5,620 bpd and down 18% from a February 2020 average of 6,888 bpd. NGL production at Northstar, 40.9% of the total and the highest NGL production level on the Slope, averaged 3,913 bpd in February, up 811 bpd, 26.1%, from a January average of 3,102, and up 28.9% from a February 2020 average of 2,036 bpd.

Eni’s Nikaitchuq field averaged 17,265 bpd in February, up 7.2%, 1,164 bpd, from a January average of 16,101 bpd but down 13.9% from a February 2020 average of 20,044 bpd.

The Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay field, the Slope’s largest, averaged 276,236 bpd in February, up 0.1%, 199 bpd, from a January average of 276,037 bpd, but down 1.1% from a February 2020 average of 279,241 bpd. Crude oil at Prudhoe, 80.4% of the field’s production, averaged 222,210 bpd in February, down 0.4%, 834 bpd, from a January average of 223,044 bpd and down 0.5% from a February 2020 average of 223,314 bpd. Prudhoe NGL volumes averaged 54,026 bpd in February, 19.6% of the field’s total, up 1,033 bpd, 2%, from a January average of 52,993 bpd but down 3.4% from a February 2020 average of 55,927 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.

Month-over-month decreases

The largest per-barrel decrease was at the ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field, which averaged 94,090 bpd in February, down 2,437 bpd, 2.5%, from a January average of 96,527 bpd and down 7.7% from a February 2020 average of 101,913 bpd.

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

The largest percentage drop was at Eni’s Oooguruk field, which averaged 6,368 bpd in February, down 15.7%, 1,187 bpd, from a January average of 7,555 bpd and down 26.6% from a February 2020 average of 8,672 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Milne Point field averaged 34,118 bpd in February, down 1,448 bpd, 4.1%, from a January average of 35,566 bpd but up 6.8% from a February 2020 average of 31,960 bpd.

The ExxonMobil Production-operated Point Thomson field averaged 8,402 bpd in February, down 519 bpd, 5.8%, from a January average of 8,921 bpd but up 45.5% from a February 2020 average of 5,774 bpd.

ConocoPhillips’ Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 3,307 bpd in February, down 4.4%, 151 bpd, from a January average of 3,457 bpd and down 35.2% from a February 2020 average of 5,105 bpd.

Badami, operated by Savant Alaska, a Glacier Oil and Gas company, averaged 1,466 bpd in February, down 4.7%, 72 bpd, from a January average of 1,538 but up 8% from a February 2020 average of 1,357 bpd.

Cook Inlet down marginally

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 296 bpd in February, up 477.6%, 245 bpd, from a January average of 51 bpd and up 33.7% from a February 2020 average of 222 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 2,760 bpd in February, down 104 bpd, 3.7%, from a January average of 2,865 bpd and down 17.6% from a February 2020 average of 3,348 bpd.

BlueCrest’s Hansen field averaged 976 bpd in February, down 4.1%, 42 bpd, from a January average of 1,018 bpd and down 14.3% from a January 2020 average of 1,140 bpd.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, Cook Inlet’s largest field, averaged 3,777 bpd in February, down 46 bpd, 1.2%, from a January average of 3,823 bpd and down 11.7% from a February 2020 average of 4,275 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 1,236 bpd in February, down 36 bpd, 2.8%, from a January average of 1,272 bpd and down 1.9% from a February 2020 average of 1,260 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 831 bpd in February, down 106 bpd, 11.3%, from a January average of 937 bpd and down 27.5% from a February 2020 average of 938 bpd. NGL volumes have recently begun to be reported for Swanson River. For February Swanson River had 680 bpd of crude and 151 bpd of NGLs, representing 81.8% and 18.2% of volume, respectively, and with crude down 136 bpd, 16.6%, from a January average of 816 bpd and NGLs up 30 bpd, 24.8%, from a January average of 121 bpd.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 1,201 bpd in February, up 50 bpd, 4.3%, from a January average of 1,151 bpd but down 7.6% from a February 2020 average of 1,300 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 natural gas production up in February

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 gas fields accounted for 88.6% of production in February, led by Hilcorp’s Kenai gas field at 23.8%, averaging 55,606 mcf per day, up 6,880 mcf per day, 14.12%, from a January average of 48,727 mcf per day and up 61.3% from a February 2020 average of 34,471 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ninilchik accounted for 13% of inlet volume, averaging 30,386 mcf per day in February, down 897 mcf per day, 2.9%, from a January average of 31,284 mcf per day and down 29.5% from a February 2020 average of 43,083 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s McArthur River, the inlet’s largest oil field, accounted for 11.3% of natural gas production, 26,494 mcf per day in February, up 5.4%, 1,357 mcf per day, from a January average of 25,137 mcf per day and up 27.9% from a February 2020 average of 20,718 mcf per day.

The Beluga River field, operated by Hilcorp, averaged 24,568 mcf per day in February, 10.5% of inlet production, up by 596 mcf per day, 2.5%, from a January average of 23,972 mcf per day and up 31.3% from a February 2020 average of 18,717 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Swanson River averaged 18,853 mcf per day in February, 8.1% of inlet production, up 99 mcf per day, 0.5%, from a January total of 18,754 mcf per day but down 45% from a February 2020 average of 34,254 mcf per day.

Furie’s Kitchen Lights averaged 15,024 mcf per day in February, 6.4% of inlet production, up 453 mcf per day, 3.1%, from a January average of 14,571 mcf per day and up 4.6% from a February 2020 average of 14,360 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s North Cook Inlet field averaged 14,930 mcf per day in February, 6.4% of inlet production, down 1,440 mcf per day, 8.8%, from a January average of 16,369 mcf per day and down 21.7% from a February 2020 average of 19,071 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Beaver Creek averaged 11,178 mcf per day in February, 4.8% of inlet production, down 1,349 mcf per day, 10.8%, from a January average of 12,526 mcf per day but up 58.5% from a February 2020 average of 7,051 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Ivan River, where production has been increased substantially in recent months, accounted for 4.2% of inlet production in February at 9,901 mcf per day, up 3,634 mcf per day, 58%, from a January average of 6,267 mcf per day, and up 2,531.9% from a February 2020 average of 376 mcf per day.

Inlet’s smaller fields

AIX’s Kenai Loop averaged 4,934 mcf per day in February, down 98 mcf per day, 2%, from a January average of 5,032 mcf per day and down 5.5% from a February 2020 average of 5,219 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Cannery Loop averaged 4,818 mcf per day in February, down 750 mcf per day, 13.5%, from a January average of 5,568 mcf per day and up 0.8% from a February 2020 average of 4,779 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Granite Point averaged 3,603 mcf per day in February, down 141 mcf per day, 3.8%, from a January average of 3,744 mcf per day but up 4% from a February 2020 average of 3,465 mcf per day.

BlueCrest’s Hansen averaged 3,309 mcf per day in February, up 106 mcf per day, 3.3%, from a January average of 3,204 mcf per day but down 27.5% from a February 2020 average of 4,566 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Deep Creek averaged 3,051 mcf per day in February, down 317 mcf per day, 9.4%, from a January average of 3,368 mcf per day and down 25.8% from a February 2020 average of 4,113 mcf per day.

Gardes Holdings’ North Fork averaged 3,037 mcf per day in February, down 11 mcf per day, 0.4%, from a January average of 3,048 mcf per day and down 18.3% from a February 2020 average of 3,715 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Trading Bay averaged 2,037 mcf per day in February, down 271 mcf per day, 11.7%, from a January average of 2,307 mcf per day and down 30.3% from a February 2020 average of 2,920 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Lewis River averaged 1,095 mcf per day in February, up 142 mcf per day, 15%, from a January average of 953 mcf per day but down 1.6% from a February 2020 average of 1,113 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Nikolaevsk averaged 354 mcf per day in February, up 31 mcf per day, 9.6%, from a January average of 323 mcf per day but down 18.3% from a February 2020 average of 434 mcf per day.

Amaroq’s Nicolai Creek averaged 266 mcf per day in February, down 121 mcf per day, 31.3%, from a January average of 387 mcf per day but up 0.2% from a February 2020 average of 265 mcf per day.

Hilcorp’s Middle Ground Shoal averaged 182 mcf per day in February, down 40 mcf per day, 18.2%, from a January average of 222 mcf per day and down 34.7% from a February 2020 average of 278 mcf per day.

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

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