Prudhoe Bay is a oil Gisement giant located in Alaska. Discovered in 1968 and put in exploitation in 1977, its initial reserves of 13  Gbbls makes of them the largest layer of the the United States and the third of North America after Cantarell and the Sands impregnated with asphaltic bitumen of the Alberta. Oil is of rather good quality (29° API, sulfur 1%). It is located on the northern coast (not GPS: 70°19' 32" NR, 148°42' 41" W), with the top of the Polar circle.

The Oléoduc trans-Alaska crossing Alaska of the north of Prudhoe Bay to the southern part with Valdez was inaugurated in 1977, allowing the export of the oil of the layer. The production was developed quickly, reaching a plate of 1,6  Mbbls /j in 1980. Prudhoe Bay filled alone the pipeline with 80  %.

This level of production, as envisaged, was maintained until in 1988, date where started a progressive decline. The produced layer, in 2006,400  kbbls /j, by counting the five “satellites” (layers of small size attached to its infrastructure). In 2006, there remain approximately 2  Mbbls of reserves. The other layers of the North Slope add up 450  kbbls/j.

Even if it exhausts soon, Prudhoe Bay can on the other hand provide much Natural gas in the years to come (when the Gazoduc necessary is built). Like all the layers, it contains gas dissolved in oil. This gas was always reinjected up to now in the layer (to maintain the pressure and to improve recovery of the liquids), forming a vast dome at the top of the tank.

In 2006, the zone of Prudhoe Bay produces half of the oil of Alaska and 400  kbbls/j per day. It ensures 8% of the American total production.

In March 2006, the British company BP discovered an escape on a Oléoduc of transit of Prudhoe Bay which had let escape between: 700000 and: 1000000 of liters of oil an observer of oil industry affirms that the reason of this closing is futile.