Alaska North Slope: September Production Up 25% from August

Photo Credit: rcboddenAlaska North Slope crude oil production started September at 359,150 barrels, but ended the month at 533,561 barrels, a clear indication that the summer maintenance season has wound down and production levels are getting back to a seasonal norm.

The average for September was 496,388 barrels per day, up 25.44 percent from an August average of 395,726 bpd, and approaching the June average of 500,525 bpd.

The largest month-over-month increase was at the BP Exploration (Alaska)-operated Prudhoe Bay field, the Slope’s largest, which averaged 270,336 bpd in September, up 58.8 percent from an August average of 170,268 bpd, an increase of slightly more than 100,000 bpd.

Prudhoe Bay production includes satellite production from Aurora, Borealis, Midnight Sun, Orion, Polaris, Sag River and Schrader Bluff. It also includes production from the Milne Point and Northstar fields, currently operated by BP, but in the process of being transferred to Hilcorp Alaska, which will be the majority owner at Northstar and a 50 percent working interest owner at Milne Point, once that sale closes.

August production at Milne Point averaged 18,744 bpd, down 3.2 percent from a July average of 19,361 bpd. August production at Northstar averaged 8,394 bpd, down 4 percent from a July average of 8,747 bpd.