The History of Prudhoe Bay

Prudhoe Bay lies offshore in the Beaufort Sea, east of Nuiqsut, in the northern waters of Alaska. It lies at approximately 70° 22' N Latitude, 148° 22' W Longitude (Sec. 08, T010N, R015E, Umiat Meridian). The community is located in the Barrow Recording District. The area encompasses 35 sq. miles of land and 12 sq. miles of water.

The Bay was named in 1828. The site was extensively developed for oil drilling operations in the 1970s. An 800-mile pipeline was constructed to transport crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, where it is shipped in marine tankers to terminals throughout the U.S. The pipeline has 12 pump stations and a maximum capacity of 2 million barrels of crude oil per day.

To Community Histories Index Alaska DCCED Community Database Online

History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development