Chevron Corporation announced that its U.K. subsidiary, Chevron North Sea Limited, has reached a final investment decision and received approval from the U.K. government to proceed with the development of the Alder Field in the Central North Sea. The project has a planned design capacity of 110 million cubic feet of natural gas and 14,000 barrels of condensate per day. First production is expected in 2016.

“The Alder Field development is an important milestone in support of our strategic plan to profitably grow production and is among our solid queue of major capital projects that will deliver value to shareholders,” said Chevron vice chairman George Kirkland.

“The Alder project builds on Chevron’s already well-established presence in the U.K. energy development sector,” said Todd Levy, president of Chevron Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production. “For more than 50 years Chevron has been active in the U.K.’s oil and gas industry, and we will continue to play a role in developing the region’s natural resources.”

Discovered in 1975, development has recently been enabled by innovative technologies to manage the high-pressure high-temperature gas condensate field located in Block 15/29a, in a water depth of 492 feet (150 meters) approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the Scottish coastline and 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the U.K./Norway median line.

The field will be developed via a single subsea well tied back to the existing Britannia Platform, a distance of 17 miles (28 kilometers).

Chevron North Sea Limited operates the project and has a 73.684 percent interest, with co-venturer ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Limited (26.316 percent).

About Chevron

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company’s success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif.