Production from Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska, the largest oil field ever discovered on the North American continent, started 40 years ago this month. But for one man’s courageous foresight, the 4 decades of oil production would not have been possible. An NPR article highlights the state hero, Tom Marshall, who identified the prolific field on a remote chunk of tundra on the icy ocean.
A watershed moment, the Prudhoe Bay discovery has led to every Alaskan receiving a check of more than USD 1,000 each year to this day. But when oil companies exploring the North Slope were hemorrhaging money as wells came up dry, the scenario was extremely discouraging.
Read the full article and listen to the podcast here.