US energy company Chevron has announced a discovery of natural gas off West Australia, which will help the company in developing its Gorgon gas project.

California-based Chevron informed that the Achilles-1 exploration well located in the WA-374-P permit area.

Chevron owns 47.75 per cent of the Gorgon project and the field operator.

Each of the Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp possess 25 per cent of the project.

Roy Krzywosinski, MD of the Chevron Australia, said, "The success of our drilling program will provide additional natural gas to underpin the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects."

The three partners are developing the Gorgon project with a plant constructed on Barrow Island. The first gas is hoped to be delivered in 2014.