Alaska lawmakers touring Point Thomson petroleum field

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — State lawmakers were heading north Tuesday to take a firsthand look at the Point Thomson petroleum field.

Exxon Mobil Corp. has been working to develop the North Slope field since settling a long-running lease dispute with the state in 2012. Terms of that agreement, aimed at getting development underway, include penalties aimed at forcing the company to move toward a major gas sale and increased oil production, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. Critics of the settlement said it would leave too much oil untapped.