1 Oil production from Australia's Bass Strait fields will be raised by 11,000 barrels a day to about 321,000 barrels with the launch of the Whiting field, the first of five small fields scheduled to be brought into production before the end of 1990.
2 Esso Australia Ltd., a unit of New York-based Exxon Corp., and Broken Hill Pty. operate the fields in a joint venture.
3 Esso said the Whiting field started production Tuesday.
4 Output will be gradually increased until it reaches about 11,000 barrels a day.
5 The field has reserves of 21 million barrels.
6 Reserves for the five new fields total 50 million barrels.
7 The Perch and Dolphin fields are expected to start producing early next year, and the Seahorse and Tarwhine fields later next year.
8 Esso said the fields were developed after the Australian government decided in 1987 to make the first 30 million barrels from new fields free of excise tax.

Esso Australia Ltd . , a unit of New York - based Exxon Corp . , and Broken Hill Pty . operate the fields in a joint venture .
joint
Why are Esso Australia Ltd. working with Broken Hill Pty. working together on a venture?