ANS production down 0.8% month over month

Biggest volume drops at Greater Mooses Tooth, Prudhoe Bay; biggest gains at Milne Point, Nikaitchuq; Southern Miluveach on line

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 482,485 barrels per day in December, down 3,765 bpd, 0.77%, from a November average of 486,248, and down 0.04% from a December 2023 average of 482,659 bpd. Crude oil averaged 426,650 bpd in December, 88.43% of total volume, down 3,958 bpd, 0.92%, from a November average of 430,607 bpd but up 0.63% from a December 2023 average of 423,969 bpd. Natural gas liquids averaged 55,835 bpd, 11.57% of total volume, up 194 bpd, 0.35%, from a November average of 55,641 bpd but down 4.87% from a December 2023 average of 58,691 bpd.

The North Slope Borough temperature averaged -2 degrees F in December, down from 5.4 F in November, up from a -4.1 F degree average in December 2023 and up by 10 degrees from a 1925-2000 mean of -12 F.

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

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.

Southern Miluveach online

The field, producing from the Mustang Pad, previously had production for 23 days in November 2019 under then-operator Brooks Range Petroleum.

Current production began at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29, Harry Bockmeulen of Mustang Holding told Petroleum News Dec. 31, with first oil expected to begin flowing into the Alpine Pipeline on New Year's Eve.

In 2024 the company drilled and completed the M-03A and M-01B wells and prepared the North Tarn 1A for return to production. The field produces from the Kuparuk River formation.

Volume drops

Greater Mooses Tooth averaged 13,910 bpd in December, down 2,574 bpd, 15.62%, from a November average of 16,484 bpd and down 1.85% from a December 2023 average of 14,172 bpd. The field produces from two pools, Lookout and Rendezvous, with Rendezvous by far the most productive, accounting for 88.41% of the field's production in December, but also averaging just 12,437 bpd in December, down from 15,010 bpd in November. Lookout, in contrast, produced about the same volume of oil in December as in November.

Prudhoe Bay averaged 264,159 bpd in December, down 1,807 bpd, 0.68%, from a November average of 265,966 bpd and down 4.03% from a December 2023 average of 275,245 bpd. Prudhoe crude averaged 211,451 bpd in December, 80.05% of total volume, down 2,008 bpd, 0.94%, from a November average of 213,460 bpd and down 3.91% from a December 2023 average of 220,067 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs averaged 52,708 bpd in December, up 201 bpd, 0.38%, from a November average of 52,507 bpd but down 4.48% from a December 2023 average of 55,178 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.

The ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River unit averaged 80,755 bpd in December, down 775 bpd, 0.95%, from a November average of 81,530 bpd but up 1.43% from a December 2023 average of 79,616 bpd.

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

ConocoPhillips is the majority working interest owner at Kuparuk. The only other WIO, ExxonMobil, holds just 0.36%; in October ConocoPhillips said it had bought out a 4.95% WIO previously held by Chevron at Kuparuk, with closing expected by the end of the year.

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 2,728 bpd in December, down 529 bpd, 16.24%, from a November average of 3,257 bpd but up 203.09% from a December 2023 average of 900 bpd. The big difference year-to-year is the Badami B1-33A well, which came online in September. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp-operated Point Thomson averaged 4,292 bpd in December, down 50 bpd, 1.15%, from a November average and up 14.31% from a December 2023 average of 3,754 bpd.

Month over month increases

Milne Point produces primarily from the Schrader Bluff and Kuparuk oil pools, with minor Sag River and Ugnu volumes.

Hilcorp Alaska's Nikaitchuq, acquired from Eni in early November, averaged 15,079 bpd in December, up 612 bpd, 4.23%, from a November average of 14,467 bpd and up 2.89% from a December 2023 average of 14,656 bpd.

ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 36,044 bpd in December, up 387 bpd, 1.08%, from a November average of 35,657 bpd and up 7.4% from a December 2023 average of 33,561 bpd.

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

Hilcorp Alaska's Oooguruk, acquired along with Nikaitchuq from Eni in early November, averaged 6,256 bpd in December, up 134 bpd, 2.19%, from a November average of 6,121 bpd and up 0.62% from a December 2023 average of 6,217 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 5,410 bpd in December, up 76 bpd, 1.42%, from a November average of 5,335 bpd but down 9.39% from a December 2023 average of 5,971 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 2,773 bpd in December, 51.26% of total volume, up 82 bpd, 3.06%, from a November average of 2,691 bpd but down 14.86% from a December 2023 average of 3,257 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 2,637 bpd in December, 48.74% of total volume, down 7 bpd, 0.25%, from a November average of 2,644 bpd and down 2.82% from a December 2023 average of 2,714 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott averaged 5,685 bpd in December, up 61 bpd, 1.08%, from a November average of 5,625 bpd but down 8.03% from a December 2023 average of 6,182 bpd. Endicott crude averaged 5,195 bpd in December, 91.38% of total volume, up 62 bpd, 1.21%, from a November average of 5,133 bpd but down 3.48% from a December 2023 average of 5,383 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 490 bpd in December, 8.62% of total volume, down 1 bpd, 0.24%, from a November average of 491 bpd and down 38.67% from a December 2023 average of 799 bpd.

Cook Inlet crude down 5%

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 2,148 bpd in December, down 313 bpd, 12.72%, from a November average of 2,461 bpd and down 16.64% from a December 2023 average of 2,577 bpd.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,027 bpd in December, up 45 bpd, 2.27%, from a November average of 1,982 bpd but down 4.85% from a December 2023 average of 2,131 bpd.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 939 bpd in December, up 188 bpd, 25.08%, from a November average of 751 bpd but down 17.33% from a December 2023 average of 1,136 bpd. Cook Inlet Energy is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 875 bpd in December, down 7 bpd, 0.83%, from a November average of 883 bpd and down 2.55% from a December 2023 average of 898 bpd.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 741 bpd in December (663 bpd of crude and 78 bpd of NGLs), down 4 bpd, 0.56%, from a November average of 745 bpd and down 5.93% from a December 2023 average of 787 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 605 bpd in December, down 29 bpd, 4.52%, from a November average of 634 bpd and down 13.09% from a December 2023 average of 697 bpd.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 203 bpd in December, down 284 bpd, 58.37%, from a November average of 487 bpd and down 61.17% from a December 2023 average of 522 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 188 bpd in December, down 4 bpd, 2.02%, from a November average of 192 bpd and down 37.07% from a December 2023 average of 299 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%

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.

There are six large producing fields in Cook Inlet which collectively accounted for 83.14% of December production, an average of 155,002 mcf per day, with the remaining 16 fields collectively accounting for 16.86% of December production.

The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Beluga River field (Chugach Electric Association is the majority working interest owner) averaged 45,665 mcf per day in December, 24.49% of the inlet total, down 349 mcf per day, 0.76%, from a November average of 46,014 mcf per day but up 8.68% from a December 2023 average of 42,017 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 43,147 mcf per day in December, 23.14% of the total, down 3,636 mcf per day, 7.77%, from a November average of 46,783 mcf per day but up 5.47% from a December 2023 average of 40,910 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 26,285 mcf per day in December, 14.1% of the total, down 247 mcf per day, 0.93%, from a November average of 26,532 mcf per day and down 44.46% from a December 2023 average of 47,322 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai field averaged 17,498 mcf per day in December, 9.39% of inlet volume, down 436 mcf per day, 2.43%, from a November average of 17,934 mcf per day and down 9.85% from a December 2023 average of 19,411 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 11,928 mcf per day in December, 6.4% of inlet production, up 3,136 mcf per day, 35.67%, from a November average of 8,792 mcf per day and up 14.01% from a December 2023 average of 10,463 mcf per day. Furie brought a new well, KLU A-1A, online for 16 days in December, accounting for more than 10% of the field's December production.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 10,480 mcf per day in December, 5.62% of inlet total, down 328 mcf per day, 3.03%, from a November average of 10,807 mcf per day and down 20.06% from a December 2023 average of 13,109 mcf per day.

The most productive of the smaller producing fields was Hilcorp's Swanson River, which averaged 7,173 mcf per day in December, down 234 mcf per day, 3.15%, from a November average of 7,407 mcf per day but up 27.18% from a December 2023 average of 5,641 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 4,467 mcf per day in December, up 21 mcf per day, 0.48%, from a November average of 4,446 mcf per day but down 55.31% from a December 2023 average of 9,995 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 4,249 mcf per day in December, down 549 mcf per day, 11.44%, from a November average of 4,798 mcf per day and down 17.19% from a December 2023 average of 5,131 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,920 mcf per day in December, down 27 mcf per day, 0.93%, from a November average of 2,947 mcf per day and down 6.07% from a December 2023 average of 3,109 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 2,779 mcf per day in December, down 29 mcf per day, 1.05%, from a November average of 2,808 mcf per day and down 20.1% from a December 2023 average of 3,478 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 2,538 mcf per day in December, down 385 mcf per day, 13.16%, from a November average of 2,922 mcf per day but up 47.47% from a December 2023 average of 1,721 mcf per day.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 1,880 mcf per day in December, down 27 mcf per day, 1.41%, from a November average of 1,907 mcf per day and down 17.07% from a December 2023 average of 2,266 mcf per day.

Vision Operating's North Fork averaged 1,692 mcf per day in December, down 56 mcf per day, 3.23%, from a November average of 1,748 mcf per day and down 17.57% from a December 2023 average of 2,052 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 1,096 mcf per day in December, down 36 mcf per day, 3.17%, from a November average of 1,131 mcf per day and down 66.2% from a December 2023 average of 3,242 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 938 mcf per day in December, down 48 mcf per day, 4.87%, from a November average of 986 mcf per day and down 22.06% from a December 2023 average of 1,203 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 830 mcf per day in December, down 10 mcf per day, 1.19%, from a November average of 840 mcf per day and down 20.74% from a December 2023 average of 1,047 mcf per day.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 329 mcf per day in December, down 114 mcf per day, 25.76%, from a November average of 444 mcf per day but up 15.87% from a December 2023 average of 284 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 246 mcf per day in December, up 3 mcf per day, 1.06%, from a November average of 244 mcf per day but down 2.18% from a December 2023 average of 252 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 197 mcf per day in December, unchanged from November but down 15.98% from a December 2023 average of 235 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Pretty Creek averaged 55 mcf per day in December, down 428 mcf per day from a November average of 483 mcf per day and up substantially from a December 2023 average of 2 mcf per day.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 40 mcf per day in December, down 101 mcf per day from a November average of 141 mcf per day and down 70.18% from a December 2023 average of 135 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

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

--KRISTEN NELSON

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