EXHIBIT 4.4









                       SUPPORT AGREEMENT


                             AMONG


              THE BRITISH PETROLEUM COMPANY p.l.c.

                                
                              AND


                  BP EXPLORATION (ALASKA) INC.


                    THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY


                              AND


                  BP PRUDHOE BAY ROYALTY TRUST

<PAGE>

THIS SUPPORT AGREEMENT made as of February 28, 1989

AMONG   THE BRITISH PETROLEUM COMPANY p.l.c. ("BP"), an English company
        whose principal office is at Britannic House, Moor Lane, London EC2Y
        9BU England,
    
        BP EXPLORATION (ALASKA) INC., a Delaware corporation having its
        principal office in Anchorage, Alaska (the "Company"),
    
        THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY, an Ohio corporation having its principal
        office in Cleveland Ohio ("SOC"),

AND     BP PRUDHOE BAY ROYALTY TRUST, a Delaware business trust (the
        "Trust"), having The Bank of New York, a New York corporation,
        authorized to do a banking business, as a Trustee (the "Trustee"),
        under the BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust Agreement, dated February 28,
        1989, by and among SOC, the Company, the Trustee and a co-trustee
        (the "Royalty Trust Agreement").

WHEREAS

1.  The Company and SOC are indirect, wholly-owned subsidiaries of BP; and

2.  SOC shall grant and convey to the Trust the Initial Royalty Interest in
    consideration of the issuance by the Trust, at SOC's direction, of Trust
    Units representing units of beneficial interest in the Trust; and

3.  In order to induce the initial purchasers of Trust Units to purchase such
    Trust Units and in order to induce The Bank of New York and F. James
    Hutchinson to act as trustees under the Royalty Trust Agreement, BP shall
    provide financial support to the Company and SOC in meeting their
    respective payment obligations under the Initial Royalty Interest, any
    Additional Royalty Interests, the Royalty Trust Agreement and the
    Conveyance to the Trust, the Trustee, the Transfer Agent and the
    Registrar (in each case as defined in the Royalty Trust Agreement).

4.  The Trust, in consideration of the conveyance of the Initial Royalty
    Interest to the Trust and the above-mentioned financial support of BP and
    SOC, shall issue 21,400,000 Trust Units in connection with the
    establishment of the Trust pursuant to the Royalty Trust Agreement and
    accept the benefits of the financial support and guarantee which BP has
    agreed to make available on the terms hereinafter contained.

NOW THEREFORE IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:

1.  DEFINITIONS

    In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the following
    terms shall have the following meanings:

        "Conveyance" means, collectively, the Overriding Royalty Conveyance
    dated February 27, 1989 between the Company and SOC conveying the Initial
    Royalty Interest to SOC, the Trust Conveyance dated the date hereof
    between SOC and the Trust conveying the Initial Royalty Interest to the
    Trust and any Additional Conveyance (as defined in the Royalty Trust
    Agreement).
    
        "Equivalent Financial Standing" means a Person having a rating
    assigned to outstanding unsecured, unsupported long term debt from
    Moody's Investors Service of at least A3 or from Standard & Poor's
    Corporation of at least A- or an equivalent rating from at least one
    nationally-recognized statistical rating organization (after giving
    effect to the sale or transfer to such Person of all or substantial all
    of the Company's working interest in the PBU a the assumption by such
    Person of all of the Company's obligations under the Conveyance and of
    all of BP's obligations hereunder).
    
        "PBU" means the Prudhoe Bay Unit, as defined in the Conveyance.
    
        "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust,
    estate or other entity, organization or association.
    
        "Royalty Interests" means the Initial Royalty Interest and any
    Additional Royalty Interests (in each case as defined in the Royalty
    Trust Agreement) conveyed to the Trust pursuant to the Initial Conveyance
    or any Additional Conveyance (in each case as defined in the Royalty
    Trust Agreement.)

2.  SCOPE OF UNDERTAKING

(a) Subject to the terms hereof BP shall, within 30 days of notice to BP
    pursuant to Article XI of the Royalty Trust Agreement, (i) cause the
    Company to perform its payment obligations under the Royalty Interests
    pursuant to the Conveyance and (ii) cause the Company and SOC to satisfy
    their respective payment obligations to the Trustee, Transfer Agent and
    Registrar and their respective payment obligation to the Trust under the
    Royalty Trust Agreement (including without limitation, the obligation to
    make payments as indemnification), including, in each case,  without
    limitation, contributing to the Company or SOC or causing to be
    contributed to the Company or SOC by an affiliate of BP such funds as are
    necessary to make such payments.  BP's obligations under the foregoing
    undertaking are unconditional.

(b) For purposes of BP's obligations under this Support Agreement, no
    assignment, sale, transfer, conveyance, mortgage or pledge or other
    disposition of the Royalty Interests shall relieve (i) the Company of its
    obligations under the Royalty Trust Agreement or the Conveyance, (ii) SOC
    of its obligations under the Royalty Trust Agreement or (iii) BP of its
    obligations under this Support Agreement.

3.  DURATION

    This Agreement shall be deemed to have come into full force and effect on
    the date first above written and shall continue thereafter until the
    earlier of (a) the termination of the Royalty Interests and all
    obligations of the Company under the Conveyance and of the Company and
    SOC under the Royalty Trust Agreement or (b) all or substantially all of
    the Company's working interest in the PBU is sold or transferred to a
    transferee of Equivalent Financial Standing in accordance with the
    provisions of Section 5(d) hereof.

4.  SUPPORT TO BE PROVIDED BY BP

    Pursuant to BP's undertaking described in Section 2 hereof BP shall make
    available to the Company and SOC, and the Company and SOC shall receive
    such financial support as the Company, SOC or the Trustee may from time
    to time request from BP in writing.

5.  ASSIGNMENT AND DELEGATION

(a) Neither BP nor the Company nor SOC shall transfer or assign its rights or
    obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the
    Trust.

(b) Notwithstanding (a) above BP shall however be free to arrange for its
    obligations hereunder to be performed by any affiliate of BP (with the
    exception of the Company) provided that BP shall remain responsible for
    ensuring that such obligations are performed in a timely manner.

(c) The Company may sell or transfer all or part of its working interest in
    the PBU, although such a transfer will not relieve BP of its
    responsibility to ensure that the Company's payment obligations with
    respect to the Royalty Interests and under the Royalty Trust Agreement
    and the Conveyance are performed.

(d) BP shall be released from its obligation under the Agreement upon the
    sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the Company's working
    interest in the  PBU, if the transferee is of Equivalent Financial
    Standing and unconditionally agrees to assume and be bound by BP's
    obligation under this Agreement in a writing in form and substance
    reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee.

6.  ENFORCEABILITY

    This Agreement may be enforced by the Trustee, for the benefit of the
    Trust, or for its own benefit or for the benefit of the Transfer Agent or
    Registrar at any time when the Company or SOC has failed to pay amounts
    due the Trust or the Trustee, individually, or as Trustee, or the
    Transfer Agent or Registrar, as described in the Royalty Trust Agreement,
    or has otherwise failed to perform their respective payment obligations
    under and pursuant to the Royalty Interests or the Royalty Trust
    Agreement or the Conveyance.

7.  NOTICES

    Any communications by a party to another shall be sufficiently made if
    sent by post (by airmail where airmail is possible), postage paid, or by
    telegraph, telex or facsimile to the address hereinafter specified and
    shall be deemed to have been made when received.

    Unless otherwise specified by not fewer than 15 days' notice in writing
    to the party in question, the address to which communications shall be
    sent shall be:

BP -            THE BRITISH PETROLEUM COMPANY p.l.c.
                Britannic House, Moor Lane
                London EC2Y 9BU, England
                Attention:  Secretary

the Company -   BP EXPLORATION (ALASKA) INC.
                c/o BP AMERICA INC.
                200 Public Square
                Cleveland, Ohio 44114
                Attention: Treasurer

SOC -           The Standard Oil Company
                c/o BP America Inc.
                200 Public Square
                Cleveland, Ohio 44114
                Attention: Treasurer

the Trustee -   The Bank of New York
                21 West Street, 12th Floor
                New York, New York 10286
                Attention:  Corporate Trust
                            Trustee Administration

8.  SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION

    BP agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or
    based upon this Agreement may be instituted in any state or Federal Court
    in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York, United
    States of America, and waives, to the extent it may effectively do so,
    any objection which it may have now or hereafter to the laying of the
    venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and irrevocably submits to
    the jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or
    proceeding.  BP has designated and appointed BP America Inc. (or any
    successor corporation) as BP's authorized agent to accept and acknowledge
    on its behalf in any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court
    and agrees that service of  process upon said agent at its office at 667
    Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10021, attention of the
    General Counsel (or at such other address in the Borough of Manhattan,
    The City of New York, as BP may designate by written notice to the
    Company and the Trustee), and written notice of said service to BP,
    mailed or delivered to it at its notice address specified in Section 7
    hereof, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process
    upon BP in any such suit, action or proceeding and shall be taken and
    held to be valid personal service upon BP, whether or not BP shall then
    be doing, or at any time shall have done, business within the State of
    New York, and any such service of process shall be of the same force and
    validity as if service were made upon BP according to the laws governing
    the validity and requirements of such service in such State, and waives
    all claim of error by reason of any such service.  Said designation and
    appointment shall be irrevocable until this Agreement shall have been
    satisfied and discharged.  BP agrees to take all action as may be
    necessary to continue the designation and appointment of BP America Inc.
    or any successor corporation in full force and effect so that BP shall at
    all times have an agent for service of process for the above purposes in
    the Borough  of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York, United States
    of America.

9.  APPLICABLE LAW

    The construction, validity and performance of this Agreement shall be
    governed by the laws of the State of New York.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned authorized officers have executed this
Agreement the day and year first hereinbefore written:


for and on behalf of   )
THE BRITISH PETROLEUM  )                /s/ D.A.G. Simon
COMPANY p.l.c.         )


for and on behalf of         )         /s/ G.N. Nelson
BP EXPLORATION (ALASKA) INC. )


for and on behalf of               )
THE BP PRUDHOE BAY ROYALTY TRUST   )    /s/ W.N. Gitlin
by THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee)

for and on behalf of        )          /s/ [Signature illegible]
THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY    )