ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska officials on Friday hailed a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit decision that will open up drilling at the Point Thomson petroleum field, creating hundreds of jobs and providing key infrastructure that could advance prospects for a large-scale natural gas pipeline.

The Corps issued a permit, and its Record of Decision explaining it, to ExxonMobil Corp. and PTE Pipeline LLC allowing the companies to fill 267.1 acres of North Slope waters and tundra wetlands to construct the drilling project.