Beaufort Sea
Because of its distance from shore, no causeway could be built to the island, unlike with previous projects such as the creation of Endicott Island. Northstar Island thus became the first drilling operation in the Beaufort Sea to use a subsea pipeline to transport oil to shore and then into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Through 2000 and 2001, construction continued. In the winter, an ice road was built across the frozen Beaufort Sea. In the summer, barges brought supplies.