Problem slows Prudhoe Bay oil production

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Production at the Prudhoe Bay oil field was reduced by another 90,000 barrels on Wednesday when a problem was discovered in a compressor, according to a spokesman for BP PLC, operator of the country’s largest oil field.

The mechanical problem cut oil production at Prudhoe Bay from an already reduced 200,000 barrels to 110,000 barrels, said BP Alaska spokesman Daren Beaudo. It likely would take several days to complete the repairs, he said.

The compressor that failed handles natural gas that is produced with the oil and water during the processing of crude. Only the western side of the field is producing oil following the shutdown of the eastern half earlier this month.

In a separate event, work to remove insulation from a transit line on the western side of the field was temporarily halted Wednesday. BP wants time to evaluate the potential for workers to be exposed to materials that contain between 5 percent and 10 percent asbestos before continuing the work, Beaudo said.

AP