BP to increase western Prudhoe Bay output to 200,000 b/d

New York (Platts)--13Aug2006

BP will continue oil output at the western portion of Alaska's 400,000
b/d Prudhoe Bay oil field and will ramp the area up to 200,000 b/d after the
company completes a maintenance shutdown at Gathering Center 1, BP said August
12 in a statement on its web site. The company did not say when maintenance
would be completed.
A leak found in the Prudhoe Bay field, which accounts for 8% of US crude
production, prompted operator BP to announce August 6 it would need to shut
production to fix severe pipeline corrosion. The field's 200,000 b/d eastern
operating area has been fully shut, along with some western area output.
Current production at the partially shuttered western field was 150,000
b/d of oil and natural gas liquids on August 12, down 5,000 b/d from BP's
estimate on August 10. It was not immediately known how much of the 150,000
b/d was oil, however, the 155,000 b/d of oil and NGLs being produced August 10
included 120,000 b/d of oil.
The eastern half of Prudhoe remains shut. "Ten metal sleeves will be
required over sections of EOA [eastern operating area] pipeline showing
corrosion damage. Seven of those have now been installed, with three remaining
sleeves to be delivered and installed today" said BP on August 12.
BP reiterated it has bought more than 4.5 million barrels of crude on the
global market to help cover its Prudhoe Bay shortfall, with further oil and
products to be bought as necessary. The crude is coming from West Africa,
South America, Asia and the Middle East, according to a source.
--Beth Evans, beth_evans@platts.com


 

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