BEIJING, Aug 5: China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) said on Saturday gas production had begun from an oil and gas field in the East China Sea, a territory that is the focus of a drawn-out dispute with Japan.

On an inspection tour at the Chunxiao field last month, a senior government official said the first stage of gas production had begun and urged CNOOC to make good use of its resources, the company's website reported.

The first phase of Chunxiao oil and gas field has already entered the production stage, Zhang Guobao, vice director of the National Development and Reform Commission, was quoted by the website as saying.—AFP