Since Prudhoe first went into production, over 12 billion barrels of oil have been produced on the North Slope. These are some of the best facilities in the world - in design and operation. Extensive research indicates that oil field activities have had no adverse effect on the North Slope's fish and wildlife populations. For example, the caribou move freely through the oil fields and have generally been unaffected by our facilities. In fact, the number of caribou in the Prudhoe Bay area has grown from 3,000 in 1972 to about 20,000 today.
Air quality is consistently better than required by state and national standards.
Emission sources are closely regulated by state and federal agencies. The largest quantity of air emissions from North Slope oil operations comes from turbines that power production facilities. These turbines are fired by natural gas, one of the cleanest burning fuels available. All North Slope operators have a goal of zero spills. In operating these complex fields, however, some spills will occur.