January ANS volume up 1.35% from December

Average of 489,022 bpd up 6,537 bpd month over month, primarily crude; Greater Mooses Tooth has largest increase, up 5,737 bpd

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 489,022 barrels per day in January, up 6,537 bpd, 1.35%, from a December average of 482,485 bpd and up 2.71% from a January 2024 average of 476,119 bpd. ANS crude accounted for 88.58% of the total, averaging 433,158 bpd, up 6,508 bpd, 1.53%, from a December average of 426,650 bpd and up 3.63% from a January 2024 average of 417,998 bpd. Natural gas liquids averaged 55,864 bpd in January, 11.42% of the total, up 29 bpd, 0.05%, from a December average of 55,835 bpd but down 3.88% from a January 2024 average of 58,121 bpd.

The January temperature in the North Slope Borough averaged -0.8 degrees F, up 12.5 degrees from the 1925-2000 mean temperature for the month of -13.3 degrees 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.

Month-over-month increases

The other large month-over-month increase was at the ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River field, which averaged 82,909 bpd in January, up 2,154 bpd, 2.67%, from a December average of 80,755 bpd and up 2.67% from a January 2024 average of 76,638 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. ExxonMobil holds a minority interest. Chevron, which had held almost 5%, sold its interest to ConocoPhillips last year.

There was a small month-over-month increase at the Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay unit, which averaged 264,580 bpd in January, up 420 bpd, 0.16%, from a December average of 264,159 bpd, and down 3.18% from a January 2024 average of 273,269 bpd. Prudhoe averaged 211,706 bpd of crude in January, 80.02% of the field total, up 255 bpd, 0.12%, from a December average of 211,451 bpd, but down 3.12% from a January 2024 average of 218,527 bpd. Prudhoe averaged 52,874 bpd of NGLs in January, 19.98% of the total, up 165 bpd, 0.31%, from a December average of 52,708 bpd, but down 3.41% from a January 2024 average of 54,742 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 48,445 bpd in January, up 315 bpd, 0.66%, from a December average of 48,130 bpd and up 17.94% from a January 2024 average of 41,077 bpd.

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

Hilcorp Alaska's Endicott averaged 5,750 bpd in January, up 65 bpd, 1.14%, from a December average of 5,685 bpd but down 7.51% from a January 2024 average of 6,217 bpd. Endicott crude averaged 5,233 bpd in January, 91.01% of the field's total, up 38 bpd, 0.73%, from a December average of 5,195 bpd but down 2.43% from a January 2024 average of 5,364 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 517 bpd in January, 8.99% of the total, up 27 bpd, 5.47%, from a December average of 490 bpd but down 39.44% from a January 2024 average of 854 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson averaged 4,299 bpd in January, up marginally, 8 bpd, 0.18%, from a December average of 4,292 bpd, and up 140.22% from a January 2024 average of 1,790 bpd.

Month-over-month declines

ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 35,399 bpd in January, down 645 bpd, 1.79%, from a December average of 36,044 bpd but up 2.71% from a January 2024 average of 34,464 bpd.

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

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 2,342 bpd in January, down 386 bpd, 14.14%, from a December average of 2,728 bpd but up 170.24% from a January 2024 average of 867 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 5,198 bpd in January, down 213 bpd, 3.93%, from a December average of 5,410 bpd and down 8.77% from a January 2024 average of 5,698 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 2,724 bpd in January, 52.41% of the total, down 49 bpd, 1.78%, from a December average of 2,773 bpd and down 14.12% from a January 2024 average of 3,172 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 2,474 bpd in January, 47.59% of the total, down 164 bpd, 6.2%, from a December average of 2,637 bpd and down 2.06% from a January 2024 average of 2,526 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Oooguruk averaged 6,220 bpd in January, down 36 bpd, 0.57%, from a Decembre average of 6,256 bpd but up 6.16% from a January 2024 average of 5,859 bpd.

Mustang Holding's Southern Miluveach averaged 4 bpd in January, with production in just four days of the month, down 32 bpd, 88.89%, from a December average of 36 bpd on three days of production in that month, the first month of continuous production for the field.

Cook Inlet volumes down

Hilcorp Alaska's Granite Point averaged 1,942 bpd in January, down 85 bpd, 4.21%, from a December average of 2,027 bpd and down 9.09% from a January 2024 average of 2,136 bpd.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 1,895 bpd in January, down 253 bpd, 11.79%, from a December average of 2,148 bpd and down 22.88% from a January 2024 average of 2,457 bpd.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 882 bpd in January, up 7 bpd, 0.75%, from a December average of 875 bpd and up 0.11% from a January 2024 average of 881 bpd.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 758 bpd in January, down 182 bpd, 19.37%, from a December average of 939 bpd and down 12.63% from a January 2024 average of 867 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 700 bpd in January (640 bpd of crude and 61 bpd of NGLs), down 40 bpd, 5.43%, from a December average of 741 bpd and down 14.79% from a January 2024 average of 822 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 559 bpd in January, down 46 bpd, 7.61%, from a December average of 605 bpd and down 16.42% from a January 2024 average of 669 bpd.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 499 bpd, up 296 bpd, 146.19%, from a December average of 203 bpd and up 5.54% from a January 2024 average of 472 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Beaver Creek averaged 173 bpd in January, down 16 bpd, 8.44%, from a December average of 188 bpd and down 40.21% from a January 2024 average of 289 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 up 0.43%

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 -- Chugach Electric Association is the majority working interest owner -- averaged 43,897 mcf per day in January, 23.45% of inlet production for the month, down 1,768 mcf per day, 3.87%, from a December average of 45,665 mcf per day but up 6.12% from a January 2024 average of 41,364 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 40,761 mcf per day in January, 21.77% of inlet production, down 2,386 mcf per day, 5.53%, from a December average of 43,147 mcf per day and down 12.24% from a January 2024 average of 46,443 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 24,794 mcf per day in January, 13.24% of inlet production, down 1,490 mcf per day, 5.67%, from a December average of 26,285 mcf per day and down 41.89% from a January 2024 average of 42,067 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai gas field averaged 18,383 mcf per day in January, 9.82% of inlet production, up 885 mcf per day, 5.06%, from a December average of 17,498 mcf per day, but down 3.18% from a January 2024 average of 18,986 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 13,577 mcf per day in January, 7.25% of inlet production, up 1,649 mcf per day, 13.82%, from a December average of 11,928 mcf per day and up 8.29% from a January 2024 average of 12,537 mcf per day. Production at the field has been increasing since Furie brought a sidetrack online in late November.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 11,108 mcf per day in January, 5.93% of inlet production, up 628 mcf per day, 5.99%, from a December average of 10,480 mcf per day but down 14.4% from a January 2024 average of 12,976 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 9,742 mcf per day in January, 5.2% of inlet production, up 2,568 mcf per day, 35.8%, from a December average of 7,173 mcf per day and up 42.02% from a January 2024 average of 6,869 mcf per day.

Those seven largest fields, each producing more than 5% of the month's total, accounted for 86.67% of Cook Inlet gas production in January, an average of 162,261 bpd. Fifteen smaller fields collectively accounted for the remaining production.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 5,567 mcf per day in January, up 1,100 mcf per day, 24.63%, from a December average of 4,467mcf per day, but down 49.86% from a January 2024 average of 11,103 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 4,778 mcf per day in January, up 529 mcf per day, 12.45%, from a December average of 4,249 mcf per day but down 9.36% from a January 2024 average of 5,272 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,851 mcf per day in January, down 70 mcf per day, 2.38%, from a December average of 2,920 mcf per day and down 7.8% from a January 2024 average of 3,092 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 2,684 mcf per day in January, down 95 mcf per day, 3.42%, from a December average of 2,779 mcf per day and down 24.13% from a January 2024 average of 3,537 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 2,273 mcf per day in January, down 265 mcf per day, 10.45%, from a December average of 2,538 mcf per day but up 26.07% from a January 2024 average of 1,803 mcf per day.

Vision Operating's North Fork averaged 1,714 mcf per day in January, up 23 mcf per day, 1.35%, from a December average of 1,692 mcf per day, but down 14.64% from a January 2024 average of 2,008 mcf per day. Hilcorp is in the process of acquiring North Fork with a closing expected in May.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 1,581 mcf per day in January, down 299 mcf per day, 15.89%, from a December average of 1,880 mcf pr day and down 28.83% from a January 2024 average of 2,221 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 1,144 mcf per day in January, up 49 mcf per day, 4.45%, from a December average of 1,096 mcf per day but down 57.93% from a January 2024 average of 2,720 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 755 mcf per day in January, down 76 mcf per day, 9.1%, from a December average of 830 mcf per day and down 27.51% from a January 2024 average of 1,041 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 644 mcf per day in January, down 293 mcf per day, 31.3%, from a December average of 938 mcf per day and down 50.46% from a January 2024 average of 1,301 mcf per day.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 393 mcf per day in January, up 64 mcf per day, 19.41%, from a December average of 329 mcf per day and up 173.48% from a January 2024 average of 144 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 204 mcf per day in January, down 42 mcf per day, 17.1%, from a December average of 246 mcf per day and down 14.17% from a January 2024 average of 238 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 156 mcf per day in January, down 41 mcf per day, 21.01%, from a December average of 197 mcf per day and down 22.73% from a January 2024 average of 201 mcf per day.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 136 mcf per day in January, up 95 mcf per day, 235.97%, from a December average of 40 mcf per day but down 20.7% from a January 2024 average of 171 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Pretty Creek averaged 86 mcf per day in January, up 31 mcf per day, 56.15%, from a December average of 55 mcf per day. The field had no production in January 2024.

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

--KRISTEN NELSON

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