A major gas field in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region starts production on Wednesday, according to information from the Xinjiang Oilfield Company.

The gas field, located on the southern edge of the Junggar Basin, produces 1.5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, which is expected to help ease energy shortages in northern Xinjiang.

Sun Xiaogang, vice president of the company, said the company will complete the comprehensive development of the gas field in 2008 with the daily production set to hit 2.9 million cubic meters.

The gas field is the third that has been constructed by Xinjiang Oilfield Company and is the largest gas field in the Junggar Basin, a major natural gas producing belt in China.

Estimates from the Xinjiang petrochemical industry management office said the total natural gas output in the region is expected to amount to 21.45 billion cubic meters this year, higher than any other provinces or regions in China.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2007)