ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A judge in Alaska ruled state officials have the right to reject Exxon's development plan for a giant North Slope oil and gas field.

The decision was considered a major success for the state which has been fighting the Point Thomson development. But, Exxon has other legal options, the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News said Friday.

State Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that Exxon and others with a stake in the field are entitled to a hearing before the state decides what to do next.

The field has lain fallow for 30 years and impatient Alaska officials want the land back so they can get others interested in developing the land. Exxon said it has been waiting because of technical challenges and the lack of a multibillion-dollar pipeline to carry the gas to the rest of the United States or Asian markets.