April ANS volume down 1% from March

Overall drop of some 5,000 bpd led by Prudhoe Bay drop of 2.9%, nearly 8,000 bpd; largest gain at Kuparuk River, up 2%, 1,542 bpd

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

Alaska North Slope production averaged 476,321 barrels per day in April, down 1%, 5,026 bpd, from a March average of 481,347 bpd and down 1.2% from an April 2023 average of 482,310 bpd. ANS crude averaged 421,083 bpd in April, 88.4% of the ANS volume, down 2,646 bpd, 0.6%, from a March average of 423,728 bpd and down 1.2% from an April 2023 average of 426,014 bpd. ANS natural gas liquids averaged 55,238 bpd in April, 11.6% of the total, down 2,381 bpd, 4.1%, from a March average of 57,619 bpd and down 1.9% from an April 2023 average of 56,296 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 average temperature for the North Slope Borough in April was 10.9 degrees F, up from an average of -6.2 degrees F in March, and also up from an average of temperature of -1.8 degrees F in April 2023.

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.

Largest drop at Prudhoe

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.

ConocoPhillips Alaska's Greater Mooses Tooth in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska averaged 15,671 bpd in April, down 907 bpd, 5.5%, from a March average of 16,578 bpd but up 22.7% from an April 2023 average of 12,772 bpd. GMT produces from two pools, Lookout and Rendezvous, with Looking contributing 8.1% of April production and Rendezvous 91.9%.

Hilcorp Alaska-operated Endicott averaged 5,738 bpd in April, down 264 bpd, 4.4%, from a March average of 6,002 bpd and down 8.8% from an April 2023 average of 6,294 bpd. Endicott crude averaged 4,999 bpd, 87.1% of the total, down 197 bpd, 3.8%, from a March average of 5,196 bpd and down 9.9% from an April 2023 average of 5,551 bpd. Endicott NGLs averaged 739 bpd in April, 12.9% of the total, down 68 bpd, 8.4%, from a March average of 806 bpd and down 0.7% from an April 2023 average of 744 bpd.

Savant Alaska's Badami averaged 752 bpd in April, down 92 bpd, 11%, from a March average of 844 bpd but up 48.9% from an April 2023 average of 505 bpd. Savant Alaska is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Largest increase at Kuparuk

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

Eni's Nikaitchuq averaged 14,648 bpd in April, up 939 bpd, 6.9%, from an April average of 13,708 bpd but down 8% from an April 2023 average of 15,920 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Milne Point averaged 43,424 bpd in April, up 748 bpd, 1.8%, from a March average of 42,676 bpd and up 9.6% from an April 2023 average of 39,629 bpd.

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

ConocoPhillips' Colville River averaged 37,689 bpd in April, up 591 bpd, 1.6%, from a March average of 37,098 bpd but down 3.6% from an April 2023 average of 39,088 bpd.

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

Eni's Oooguruk averaged 5,842 bpd in April, up 203 bpd, 3.6%, from a March average of 5,639 bpd but down 22% from an April 2023 average of 7,488 bpd.

Hilcorp Alaska's Northstar averaged 5,511 bpd in April, up 148 bpd, 2.8%, from a March average of 5,363 bpd but down 16.9% from an April 2023 average of 6,628 bpd. Northstar crude averaged 3,012 bpd in April, 54.6% of the field's total, down 6 bpd, 0.2%, from a March average of 3,017 and down 15.4% from an April 2023 average of 3,558 bpd. Northstar NGLs averaged 2,500 bpd in April, 45.4% of the total, up 153 bpd, 6.5%, from a March total of 2,346 bpd but down 18.6% from an April 2023 total of 3,070 bpd.

AOGCC data show that Point Thomson, which had no crude production in February or March following a pipeline leak in mid-January, reported 1,030 barrels of crude in April, which averages to 34 bpd, although the data summary does not distinguish between days of crude production and days of gas production, and the field has reported continuous gas production, although at volumes far below those for months prior to the pipeline shutdown.

Cook Inlet crude down 3.5%

Hilcorp Alaska's McArthur River, Cook Inlet's largest crude producer, averaged 2,600 bpd in April, up 36 bpd, 1.4%, from a March average of 2,564 bpd and up 2.4% from an April 2023 average of 2,539 bpd.

All other Cook Inlet fields had month-over-month declines.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 977 bpd in April, down 86 bpd, 8.1%, from a March average of 1,063 bpd but up 143.8% from an April 2023 average of 401 bpd. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 885 bpd in April, down 75 bpd, 7.8%, from a March average of 960 bpd but up 3.9% from an April 2023 average of 852 bpd.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,060 bpd in April, down 62 bpd, 2.9%, from a March average of 2,122 bpd and down 8.2% from an April 2023 average of 2,244 bpd.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 768 bpd in April (702 bpd of crude and 66 bpd of NGLs and propane), down 32 bpd, 4%, from a March average of 800 bod but up 1.4% from an April 2023 average of 757 bpd.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 655 bpd in April, down 24 bpd, 3.6%, from a March average of 679 bpd but up 9.1% from an April 2023 average of 600 bpd.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 267 bpd in April, down 17 bpd, 6.1%, from a March average of 284 bpd and down 33.1% from an April 2023 average of 399 bpd.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 673 bpd in April, down 9 bpd, 1.3%, from a March average of 682 bpd and down 6.2% from an April 2023 average of 718 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 1.6%

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 majority of Cook Inlet production, 84.9% in April, comes from the inlet's seven largest producers.

The Hilcorp Alaska-operated Beluga River field averaged 44,602 mcf per day in April, 22.1% of inlet production, down 422 mcf per day, 0.9%, from a March average of 45,023 mcf per day but up 25.8% from an April 2023 average of 35,447 mcf per day. Chugach Electric Association holds the majority working interest ownership at Beluga.

Hilcorp's North Cook Inlet averaged 40,711 mcf per day in April, 20.1% of the inlet total, down 2,301 mcf per day, 5.4%, from a March average of 43,013 mcf per day but up 5.6% from an April 2023 average of 38,539 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ninilchik averaged 34,451 mcf per day in April, 17% of inlet production, down 1,756 mcf per day, 4.9%, from a March average of 36,207 mcf per day and down 20.3% from an April 2023 average of 43,214 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Kenai gas field averaged 18,592 mcf per day in April, 9.2% of inlet production, up 403 mcf per day, 2.2%, from a March average of 18,188 mcf per day but down 8.2% from an April 2023 average of 20,241 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's McArthur River averaged 11,992 mcf per day in April, 5.9% of inlet production, down 358 mcf per day, 2.9%, from a March average of 12,350 mcf per day and down 22.6% from an April 2023 average of 15,492 mcf per day.

Furie's Kitchen Lights averaged 11,116 mcf per day in April, 5.5% of inlet production, down 467 mcf per day, 4%, from a March average of 11,582 mcf per day but up 7% from an April 2023 average of 10,388 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Beaver Creek averaged 10,283 mcf per day in April, 5.1% of inlet production, down 1,628 mcf per day, 13.7%, from a March average of 11,911 mcf per day but up 43.5% from an April 2023 average of 7,168 mcf per day.

Fourteen smaller producing fields accounted for a combined 15.1% of inlet production in April.

Hilcorp's Swanson River averaged 8,406 mcf per day in April, up 3,215 mcf per day, 61.9%, from a March average of 5,191 mcf per day but down 10.8% from an April 2023 average of 9,428 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Cannery Loop averaged 4,894 mcf per day in April, down 58 mcf per day, 1.2%, from a March average of 4,952 mcf per day and down 13% from an April 2023 average of 5,626 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Deep Creek averaged 3,334 mcf per day in April, down 113 mcf per day, 3.3%, from a March average of 3,448 mcf per day and down 15.2% from an April 2023 average of 3,929 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Granite Point averaged 2,935 mcf per day in April, down 88 mcf per day, 2.9%, from a March average of 3,023 mcf per day and down 9.9% from an April 2023 average of 3,256 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Ivan River averaged 2,830 mcf per day in April, up 404 mcf per day, 16.7%, from a March average of 2,426 mcf pr day but down 68.1% from an April 2023 average of 8,882 mcf per day.

AIX's Kenai Loop averaged 2,073 mcf per day in April, up 16 mcf per day, 0.8%, from a March average of 2,057 mcf per day and up 11.8% from an April 2023 average of 1,854 mcf per day.

Vision Operating's North Fork averaged 1,918 mcf per day in April, down 28 mcf per day, 1.4%, from a March average of 1,946 mcf per day and down 22.6% from an April 2023 average of 2,479 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Lewis River averaged 1,664 mcf per day in April, up 126 mcf per day, 8.2%, from a March average of 1,538 mcf per day and up 678.5% from an April 2023 average of 214 mcf per day.

BlueCrest's Hansen averaged 1,066 mcf per day in April, down 32 mcf per day, 2.9%, from a March average of 1,098 mcf per day and down 24.9% from an April 2023 average of 1,420 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Trading Bay averaged 731 mcf per day in April, down 310 mcf per day, 29.8%, from a March average of 1,041 mcf per day and down 39.7% from an April 2023 average of 1,212 mcf per day.

Cook Inlet Energy's West McArthur River averaged 240 mcf per day in April, down 15 mcf per day, 6%, from a March average of 255 mcf per day but up 143.4% from an April 2023 average of 98 mcf per day. CIE is a Glacier Oil and Gas company.

Amaroq's Nicolai Creek averaged 198 mcf per day in April, up 174 mcf per day, 724.2%, from a March average of 24 mcf per day but down 23.3% from an April 2023 average of 258 mcf per day.

CIE's Redoubt Shoal averaged 165 mcf per day in April, down 10 mcf per day, 5.9%, from a March average of 175 mcf per day but up 5.6% from an April 2023 average of 156 mcf per day.

Hilcorp's Nikolaevsk averaged 61 mcf per day in April, down 133 mcf per day, 68.4%, from a March average of 194 mcf per day and down 69.1% from an April 2023 average of 198 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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