ANS up 1.7% for July

Up 3.6% from July 2023; biggest increases from June at Kuparuk and Prudhoe

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 447,134 barrels per day in July, up 7,303 bpd, 1.66%, from a June average of 439,832 bpd and up 3.56% from a July 2023 average of 431,768 bpd. Crude accounted for 89.43% of the volume, averaging 399,866 bpd in July, up 8,253 bpd, 2.11%, from a June average of 391,613 bpd and up 2.84% from a July 2023 average of 388,840 bpd. Natural gas liquids, 10.57% of the total, averaged 47,269 bpd in July, down 950 bpd, 1.97%, from a June average of 48,219 bpd and up 10.11% from a July 2023 average of 42,928 bpd.

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

The North Slope Borough temperature averaged 49.7 degrees F in July, up 0.5 degrees from a 1925-2000 mean of 49.2 degrees, and up from a June average of 47.2 degrees F, although down from a July 2023 average of 56.4 degrees F.

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

Hilcorp North Slope-operated Prudhoe Bay averaged 245,807 bpd in July, up 3,063 bpd, 1.26%, from a June average of 242,745 bpd and up 6.59% from a July 2023 average of 230,816 bpd. Prudhoe crude averaged 201,360 bpd, 81.92% of the total, up 3,602 bpd, 1.82%, from a June average of 197,758 bpd and up 5.62% from a July 2023 average of 190,638 bpd. Prudhoe NGLs averaged 44,447 bpd in July, 18.08% of the total, down 539 bpd, 1.2%, from a June average of 44,986 bpd but up 10.63% from a July 2023 average of 40,178 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.

Eni's Oooguruk averaged 5,687 bpd in July, up 137 bpd, 2.47%, from a June average of 5,550 bpd but down 17.8% from a July 2023 average of 6,919 bpd.

Eni's Nikaitchuq averaged 14,524 bpd in July, up 127 bpd, 0.88%, from a June average of 14,396 bpd but down 11.83% from a July 2023 average of 16,472 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 44,952 bpd in July, up 125 bpd, 0.28%, from a June average of 44,827 bpd and up 13.09% from a July 2023 average of 39,747 bpd. Milne Point produces primarily from the Schrader Bluff and Kuparuk oil pools, with minor Sag River and Ugnu volumes.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Point Thomson averaged 4,215 bpd in July, up 97 bpd, 2.36%, from a June average of 4,118 bpd and up 58.54% from a July 2023 average of 2,659 bpd.

Month-over-month decreases

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 4,985 bpd in July, down 315 bpd, 5.95%, from a June average of 5,300 bpd and down 7.07% from a July 2023 average of 5,364 bpd. Crude accounted for 53.5% of Northstar production in July, averaging 2,667 bpd, down 122 bpd, 16.97%, from a June average of 2,789 bpd and down 16.97% from a July 2023 average of 3,212 bpd. Northstar NGLs accounted for 46.5% of July production, averaging 2,318 bpd, down 193 bpd, 7.7%, from a June average of 2,511 bpd but up 7.72% from a July 2023 average of 2,152 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott averaged 5,798 bpd in July, down 243 bpd, 4.02%, from a June average of 6,041 bpd and down 10.83% from a July 2023 average of 6,502 bpd. Crude accounted for 91.32% of Endicott production in July, averaging 5,295 bpd, down 25 bpd, 0.47%, from a June average of 5,320 bpd and down 10.31% from a July 2023 average of 5,904 bpd. Endicott NGLs accounted for 8.68% of July production, averaging 504 bpd, down 218 bpd, 30.2%, from a June average of 721 bpd and down 15.89% from a July 2023 average of 599 bpd.

ConocoPhillips Alaska's Colville River averaged 34,415 bpd in July, down 141 bpd, 0.41%, from a June average of 34,556 bpd but up 24.29% from a July 2023 average of 27,690 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 834 bpd in July, down 5 bpd, 0.64%, from a June average of 840 bpd and down 15.16% from a July 2023 average of 983 bpd. Savant is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Cook Inlet averages 8,009 bpd

The largest month-over-month increase was at Hilcorp Alaska's McArthur River, which averaged 2,059 bpd in July, up 250 bpd, 13.8%, from a June average of 1,810 bpd, but down 17.41% from a July 2023 average of 2,493 bpd.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 744 bpd in July (678 bpd crude and 65 bpd NGLs), up 74 bpd, 10.97%, from a June average of 670 bpd and up 7.28% from a July 2023 average of 693 bpd.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 922 bpd in July, up 17 bpd, 1.84%, from a June average of 905 bpd but down 4.4% from a July 2023 average of 965 bpd.

The largest month-over-month decrease was at Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River, which averaged 839 bpd in July, down 120 bpd, 12.51%, from a June average of 959 but up 52.85% from a July 2023 average of 549 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 505 bpd in July, down 69 bpd, 11.99%, from a June average of 573 bpd but up 198.53% from a July 2023 average of 169 bpd.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,037 bpd in July, down 31 bpd, 1.5%, from a June average of 2,068 bpd, and down 8.36% from a July 2023 average of 2,223 bpd.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 254 bpd in July, down 5 bpd, 1.82%, from a June average of 258 bpd and down 26.74% from a July 2023 average of 346 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 649 bpd in July, basically unchanged from 650 bpd in June, but down 7.65% from a July 2023 average of 703 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 4.2%

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.

July production was 80.48% from the inlet's six largest fields, those averaging 5% or more of inlet production during the month, accounting for an average of 150,692 mcf per day.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Beluga River averaged 39,711 mcf per day in July, 21.21% of the inlet total, up 240 mcf per day, 0.61%, from a June average of 39,470 mcf per day and up 19.7% from a July 2023 average of 33,174 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 39,265 mcf per day, 20.97% of the total, up 1,800 mcf per day, 4.8%, from a June average of 37,464 mcf per day and up 8.35% from a July 2023 average of 36,240 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 30,816 mcf per day in July, 16.46% of the total, down 2,060 mcf per day, 6.27%, from a June average of 32,876 mcf per day and down 31.56% from a July 2023 total of 45,027 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai gas field averaged 19,796 mcf per day in July, 10.57% of the total, down 1,718 mcf per day, 7.99%, from a June average of 21,514 mcf per day but up 1.01% from a July 2023 average of 19,598 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 11,283 mcf per day, 6.03% of the total, down 137 mcf per day, 1.2%, from a June average of 11,420 mcf per day and down 18.99% from a July 2023 average of 13,928 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 9,823 mcf per day in July, 5.25% of the total, down 466 mcf per day, 4.53%, from a June average of 10,289 mcf per day, and down 5.33% from a July 2023 average of 10,376 mcf per day.

Fifteen fields combined accounted for 19.52% of inlet gas production in July.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 8,024 mcf per day in July, up 389 mcf per day, 5.09%, from a June average of 7,635 mcf per day and up 45.69% from a July 2023 average of 5,508 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 5,095 mcf per day in July, up 767 mcf per day, 17.71%, from a June average of 4,328 mcf per day but down 2.27% from a July 2023 average of 5,213 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 4,829 mcf per day in July, down 5,711 mcf per day, 54.18%, from a June average of 10,540 mcf per day and down 47.49% from a July 2023 average of 9,196 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 3,996 mcf per day in July, down 797 mcf per day, 16.63%, from a June average of 4,793 mcf per day but up 884.61% from a July 2023 average of 406 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 3,288 mcf per day in July, down 63 mcf per day, 1.88%, from a June average of 3,351 mcf per day and down 13.11% from a July 2023 average of 3,784 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 3,095 mcf per day in July, down 14 mcf per day, 0.44%, from a June average of 3,108 mcf per day and down 4.69% from a July 2023 average of 3,247 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 1,862 mcf per day in July, down 268 mcf per day, 12.58%, from a June average of 2,129 mcf per day and down 65.65% from a July 2023 average of 5,419 mcf per day.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 1,810 mcf per day in July, down 208 mcf per day, 10.29%, from a June average of 2,018 mcf per day and down 14.24% from a July 2023 average of 2,110 mcf per day.

Vision Operating's North Fork averaged 1,805 mcf per day in July, down 73 mcf per day, 3.86%, from a June average of 1,878 mcf per day and down 20.08% from a July 2023 average of 2,259 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 1,053 mcf per day in July, up 15 mcf per day, 1.42%, from a June average of 1,039 mcf per day but down 4.65% from a July 2023 average of 1,105 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 773 mcf per day in July, up 114 mcf per day, 17.22%, from a June average of 660 mcf per day but down 37.8% from a July 2023 average of 1,243 mcf per day.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 299 mcf per day in July, down 12 mcf per day, 3.74%, from a June average of 310 mcf per day and down 13.56% from a July 2023 average of 345 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 239 mcf per day in July, down 21 mcf per day, 8.03%, from a June average of 260 mcf per day but up 76.75% from a July 2023 average of 135 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 238 mcf per day in July, down 55 mcf per day, 18.85%, from a June average of 293 mcf per day, but up 1.22% from a July 2023 average of 235 mcf per day.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 150 mcf per day in July, down 2 mcf per day, 1.56%, from a June average of 153 mcf per day but up 283.07% from a July 2023 average of 39 mcf per day.

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

--KRISTEN NELSON

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