Under the contract, Enbridge will construct, own and operate the 25km pipeline, which will connect Stampede development to an existing third-party pipeline system.

Expected to cost about $130m, the lateral pipeline will start operations in 2018.

The pipeline will originate in Green Canyon Block 468, located about 220 miles southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Enbridge president of gas pipelines & processing Greg Harper said: "The Stampede lateral is consistent with Enbridge’s low risk business model and furthers our objective to capture new deepwater Gulf of Mexico crude oil plays."

Enbridge transports around 40% of the natural gas produced in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico as well as 45% of ultra-deep natural gas production, through offshore pipelines.

Chevron subsidiary Union Oil Company of California has a 25% working interest in the Stampede development, which has estimated recoverable resources of more than 300 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Hess, Statoil and Nexen, each have 25% stakes in the Stampede field.