Access is limited mostly to air or occasionally river traffic. Ever since its establishment during the late 40's and early 50's, Umiat has served as an oil and gas facility and has no significance to the Natives. It is also the site of the first oil strike on the North Slope, and it predates Prudhoe Bay by 20 years. After the NPR-4 was laid aside in 1923, limited exploration was done around the Umiat area until the discovery of oil seeps in 1943. These oil seeps sparked interest of many, and in 1944 a party of Navy enlisted men structurally mapped the area in detail.
Scars still remain from the early days of exploration.
It is located near the Umiat anticline's axis on upper Seabee Creek. The well was spudded June 1945, shut down in September, and reopened the following June. Only a trace of oil shows were discovered. About 120 gallons were recovered in the hole the following year when operations were resumed. Apparently while sitting during the winter, the drilling fluid froze and oil seeped out on top of it.