Chevron Corporation announced a new oil discovery at the Moccasin prospect in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The Keathley Canyon Block 736 Well No. 1 encountered more than 380 feet of net pay in the Lower Tertiary Wilcox Sands. The well is located approximately 216 miles off the Louisiana coast in 6,759 feet of water and was drilled to a depth of 31,545 feet.

"The Moccasin discovery underscores the importance of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico as a source of domestic energy for the United States and as a focus area for Chevron's worldwide exploration portfolio," said George Kirkland, vice chairman, Chevron Corporation. "Moccasin is an important addition to our queue of high-quality opportunities around the globe."

Chevron began drilling the Moccasin well in March 2010. That activity was stopped in June 2010 when the U.S. government imposed a moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Drilling resumed in March 2011 after the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement approved Chevron's revised drilling permit application.

The well results are still being evaluated, and additional work will be needed to determine the extent of the resource. Chevron, with a 43.75 percent working interest in the prospect, was the operator of the Moccasin discovery well. Other Moccasin owners are BP, with 43.75 percent, and Samson Offshore Company, with 12.5 percent.

Chevron is one of the largest leaseholders in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently developing the $7.5 billion Jack/St. Malo and the $4.1 billion Big Foot projects.