Oxy Makes Oil Discovery at Bandit Prospect in Gulf of America
April 9, 2026
Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) has made an oil discovery at the Bandit prospect in the Gulf of America.
The exploration well, located in Green Canyon Block 680 about 125 miles south of the Louisiana coast, encountered oil-bearing Miocene sands.
Occidental said the well found high-quality hydrocarbons across the full reservoir interval, with further evaluation underway to determine development options.
The company operates the prospect with a 45.375% working interest, alongside Chevron with 37.125% and Woodside Energy holding 17.5%.
The partners are assessing results to determine next steps, including the potential for subsea tie-backs to nearby Occidental-operated facilities.
“Occidental is focused on strengthening our Gulf of America portfolio. We believe this discovery demonstrates the continued importance of the Gulf of America as a strategic source of reliable domestic oil supply that supports long-term energy security,” said Jeff Simmons, Senior Vice President, Subsurface Technology and Chief Petrotechnical Officer at Oxy.
The discovery adds to ongoing exploration activity in the deepwater Gulf of America, a key producing region for U.S. oil output.
