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Kuparuk, Shaviovik and Sagwon. He continued to work as a consul - tant in the 1960s and provided con - sulting services for the Pet Four di - rector related to the drilling of natural gas wells in the South Barrow field, which he helped discover. In 1963, he helped design a temporary surface gas distribution system which delivered gas from Pet Four to Barrow. He sub - sequently supervised construction of a permanent system which continues to be operated for Barrow to this day. What may have been Jim Dalton’s most valuable contribution to Alaska was his leading role in the promo - tion of his Gubik Report, a 1954 study proclaiming the feasibility of devel- oping and marketing northern Alas - ka’s crude oil and gas. The Gubik gas field, located just south of Prudhoe Bay discovery well, was discovered during the Navy’s Pet Four explora - tions between 1944 and 1953. Tests
showed it contained large quantities of natural gas. The Navy had established Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 (Pet Four) which consisted of approximately 23 million acres withdrawn from devel - opment. In addition to Pet 4, when oil and gas deposits were located near the eastern boundary of the Naval Reserve, the Federal Government withdrew an additional 20 million acres known as Public Land Order No. 82, which en - compassed the Gubik Field — making that proven gas bearing area, like all of Pet 4 — unavailable for commercial leasing and development. Dalton was convinced Gubik gas could provide a reliable and econom- ic source of natural gas along the Railbelt for structural and heating purposes. And that a small diame- ter pipeline needed to carry it was
local resource development, including the use of natural gas from the Arc- tic as a source for structural heat and power along the Railbelt. From 1954-57, he was employed by Puget Sound and Drake as general superintendent and assistant project manager for the Alaska sector of the DEW Line. He later supervised the construction of 16 DEW Line stations built along the Arctic Ocean shoreline of Alaska. Dalton worked as a consultant for the Director of the U.S. Naval Petro - leum and Shale Oil Reserves from 1957-1963. He continued to be active in petroleum and mineral explora - tion programs for private industry in various Alaska locations including the Alaska Peninsula, Cook Inlet ba - sin, Kobuk, Nulato, and on the North Slope at Umiat, Little Twist, Gubik,
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RESPONSIBLE. SUSTAINABLE. INNOVATIVE. SAFEGUARDING AN AMERICAN TREASURE
Operating in a national monument means our license comes with exceptionally high environmental expectations and the smallest footprint possible. We take pride in using technology and innovation to minimize our impact. Small and smart – that’s the Hecla way
hecla.com/operations/greens-creek-alaska
Photos Courtesy Libby Dalton
Mike and Jim at Point Barrow in 1952.
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | FALL 2026
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