PRODUCTION has started from the Kinnoull field in the central North Sea, BP has announced.The oil giant said the reservoir had been developed as part of a wider rejuvenation of the Andrew field area, and was expected to enable production to be extended by a decade.

BP said it showed the company's commitment to the area.

Production is being carried to the Andrew platform, 140 miles east of Aberdeen, through a subsea pipeline.

Oil then comes ashore via the Forties pipeline system, while gas is brought in through the Cats system.

Trevor Garlick, regional president for BP's North Sea business, said: "Fifty years after BP was awarded its first licences in the North Sea, the successful start-up of Kinnoull demonstrates our continued commitment to maximising recovery from the basin.