Surface drifters have been released in the Beaufort Sea near Prudhoe Bay for three consecutive years: 1977, 1978, and 1979. Two releases were made after the shorefast ice had broken up, and one release was made just prior to breakup. All drifter recoveries suggest that the movements results from prevailing wind-driven currents during the open water season although there are small currents under the ice in winter which probably contribute to the observed movements. Drifters released just before a large storm traveled the greatest distances (335 km) in the shortest time (40 days) with mean velocities close to 10 cm/s. These travel times and computed speeds are consistent with values of 3% of the wind transport over the same period. The statistics of drifter recoveries are comparable to those for coastal regions in North America despite the very sparse population along the arctic coast. For the under-ice releases, there was a consistent shoreward movement even for drifters released as far as 10 km offshore, indicated by the recovery data. This result suggests that oil released under ice in winter would tend to move shoreward. Subsequently, oil patches would be wind driven after spring breakup of the land-fast ice.