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North Slope production down 2.5% in June; Prudhoe Bay down, Milne Point up
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Alaska North Slope production for June was down from May, but up from last June, with the largest drop at Prudhoe Bay and the largest increase at Milne Point.
ANS production in June averaged 463,788 barrels per day, down 12,026 bpd, 2.5%, from a May average of 475,814 bpd but up 1.7% from a June 2022 average of 456,146 bpd. Crude accounted for 89.5% of the June average, 414,932 bpd, down 6,650 bpd, 1.6%, from a May average of 421,582 bpd, but up 1.5% from a June 2022 average of 408,838 bpd. Natural gas liquids, NGLs, accounted for 10.5% of the total, an average of 48,856 bpd, down 5,376 bpd, 9.9%, from a June average of 54,232 bpd, but up 3.3% from a June 2022 average of 47,308 bpd.
Production data are from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission which reports production by field and well on a month delay basis.
Prudhoe and Milne Point The largest month-over-month decrease was at Prudhoe Bay; the largest month-over-month increase at Milne Point. Both averaged more production this June than in June 2022.
Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay, the Slope's largest field, averaged 250,590 bpd in June, down 12,892 bpd, 4.9%, from a May average of 263,482 bpd, but up 4.5% from a June 2022 average of 239,719 bpd. Crude accounted for 205,083 bpd of Prudhoe production, 81.8% of the total, down 7,611 bpd, 3.6%, from a May average of 212,695 bpd, but up 4.6% from a June 2022 average of 196,151 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs averaged 45,507 bpd in June, 18.2% of the total, down 5,281 bpd, 10.4%, from a June average of 50,787 bpd, but up 4.5% from a June 2022 average of 43,569 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.
Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 40,295 bpd in June, up 2,973 bpd, 8%, from a May average of 37,322 bpd and up 7.1% from a June 2022 average of 37,620 bpd. Hilcorp has doubled production since April 2014 when it acquired 50% of Milne Point from BP and took over as operator. In that month Milne production averaged 19,578 bpd. In July 2020 Hilcorp acquired the remaining 50% of the field along with BP's other North Slope interests, and, as Hilcorp North Slope, became the Prudhoe operator.
Other fields with increases The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River field averaged 81,203 bpd in June, up 1,486 bpd, 1.9%, from a May average of 79,717 bpd and up 2.7% from a June 2022 average of 79,095 bpd.
In addition to the main Kuparuk pool, Kuparuk produces from satellites at Tabasco and Tarn, and from West Sak.
Eni's Nikaitchuq averaged 15,962 bpd in June, up 462 bpd, 3%, from a May average of 15,500 bpd, but down 9.9% from a June 2022 average of 17,708 bpd.
Savant's Badami averaged 1,041 bpd in June, up 461 bpd, 79.5%, from a May average of 580 bpd and up 4.4% from a June 2022 average of 997 bpd. The big jump in production came from the Badami B1-07 well, which produced 16,101 barrels in June, 51.6% of the field's production. Looking back a year, B10-07 produced 12,556 barrels in June 2022, dropping off over the year to a low of 147 barrels in April, and then beginning a climb back with 2,524 barrels in May. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.
ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 35,950 bpd in June, up 345 bpd, 1%, from a May average of 35,605 bpd and up 3% from a June 2022 average of 34,904 bpd. The CD5 pad accounted for 50.3% of Colville River production in June
In addition to oil from the main Alpine pool, Colville includes production from the Nanuq and Qannik oil pools.
Other fields with decreases ConocoPhillips' Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 16,902 bpd in June, down 2,250 bpd, 11.8%, from a May average of 19,152 bpd and down 11% from a June 2022 average of 18,999 bpd. The field produces from two oil pools, Lookout at GMT1, which produced 8.5% of the field's volume in June, and the Rendezvous pool at GMT2, which accounted for 91.5% of June production.
The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson field averaged 3,114 bpd in June, down 1,967 bpd, 38.7%, from a May average of 5,081 bpd and down 66.1% from a June 2022 average of 9,187 bpd, the high for 2022; last year's low, 7,987 bpd, was in October. Production has been in a fairly steady decline this year, with a high of 8,136 bpd in February. Facilities at the field are designed for maximum production of 10,000 bpd.
In information provided to AOGCC in February, Hilcorp noted that there is only one producer at Point Thomson, PTU-17, and over time productivity has declined. There are several potential explanations for that, the company said, including natural decline and issues with the well. Filings indicate treatments to address potential well issues began in February 2022, and resulted in some improvement that month, with analysis and testing ongoing.
Hilcorp's Northstar averaged 5,859 bpd in June, down 328 bpd, 5.3%, from a May average of 6,186 bpd and down 16.3% from a June 2022 average of 6,996 bpd. Crude was 55.3% of Northstar production in June, an average of 3,240 bpd, down 291 bpd, 8.3%, from a May average of 3,532 bpd and down 18.5% from a June 2022 average of 3,976 bpd. Northstar NGLs were 44.7% of the field's production in June, 2,618 bpd, down 36 bpd, 1.4%, from a May average of 2,654 bpd and down 13.3% from a June 2022 average of 3,020 bpd.
Eni's Oooguruk averaged 6,793 bpd in June, down 178 bpd, 2.6%, from a May average of 6,970 bpd, but up 24.7% from a June 2022 average of 5,449 bpd.
Hilcorp's Endicott averaged 6,080 bpd in June, down 138 bpd, 2.2%, from a May average of 6,217 bpd, but up 11.1% from a June 2022 average of 5,472 bpd. Crude was 88% of Endicott production in June, averaging 5,348 bpd, down 79 bpd, 1.5%, from a May average of 5,427 bpd, but up 12.5% from a June 2022 average of 4,752 bpd. NGLs were 12% of Endicott production in June, an average of 732 bpd, down 59 bpd, 7.4%, from a May average of 790 bpd, but up 1.7% from a June 2022 average of 719 bpd.
Cook Inlet down 3.8% Cook Inlet production averaged 8,336 bpd in June, down 329 bpd, 3.8%, from a May average of 8,664 bpd and down 16.1% from a June 2022 average of 9,940 bpd. Crude oil accounts for 99% of Cook Inlet production, with the remaining 1%, natural gas liquids, from a single field, Swanson River, where it is 10.1% of that's field's volume.
Hilcorp Alaska's McArthur River averaged 2,746 bpd in June, up 128 bpd, 4.9%, from a May average of 2,618 bpd but down 5.7% from a June 2022 average of 2,912 bpd.
Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,254 bpd in June, down 16 bpd, 0.7%, from a May average of 2,270 bpd, and down 1.3% from a June 2022 average of 2,284 bpd.
These two, along with Hilcorp's Trading Bay and Cook Inlet Energy's Redoubt Shoal, produce from platforms in Cook Inlet.
Trading Bay averaged 973 bpd in June, up 95 bpd, 10.9%, from a May average of 877 bpd and up 8.2% from a June 2022 average of 899 bpd.
Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 771 bpd (crude and NGLs) in June, down 6 bpd, 0.7%, from a May average of 777 bpd and down 5.5% from a June 2022 average of 816 bpd.
BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 708 bpd in June, down 9 bpd, 1.3%, from a May average of 717 bpd and down 8.5% from a June 2022 average of 774 bpd.
Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 420 bpd in June, up 39 bpd, 10.2%, from a May average of 381 bpd and up 63.7% from a June 2022 average of 256 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.
Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 335 bpd in June, down 79 bpd, 19%, from a May average of 414 bpd and down 60.9% from a June 2022 average of 856 bpd.
CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 129 bpd in June, down 481 bpd, 79%, from a May average of 610 bpd and down 88.7% from a June 2022 average of 1,143 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.
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