ConocoPhillips has made a final investment decision on the controversial multibillion-dollar Willow oil project, which will extend the US company’s footprint in Alaska’s North Slope area.

The company said late last Friday it had decided to move forward with the project following the US Department of the Interior’s March 2023 record of decision and recent positive court orders, including last week’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denial of plaintiffs’ request for an injunction.