Occidental Petroleum has made an oil discovery at the Bandit prospect in the Gulf of America, according to the company.

The exploration well was drilled in Green Canyon Block 680, about 125 miles south of the Louisiana coast. Oxy said the well encountered oil-bearing Miocene sands and identified high-quality hydrocarbons across the full reservoir interval.

Further evaluation is underway to determine development options. The partners are also assessing the results to decide the next steps, including potential subsea tie-backs to nearby facilities operated by Oxy.

Oxy operates the prospect with a 45.375% working interest. Its partners are Chevron with 37.125% and Woodside Energy with 17.5%.

Jeff Simmons, Senior Vice President, Subsurface Technology and Chief Petrotechnical Officer at Oxy, said the discovery supports the company’s plan to strengthen its Gulf of America portfolio. He added that the result shows the region’s importance as a source of domestic oil supply linked to long-term energy security.

The discovery adds to ongoing exploration activity in the deepwater Gulf of America, a key producing region for U.S. oil output.