ALGIERS- Algeria’s Sonatrach has started production at its Touat gas field, with a capacity of 12.8 million cubic metres per day, it said on Wednesday.

It also produces 1,800 barrels of condensates per day, a Sonatrach statement said.

Sonatrach's partner at the field is private equity-backed oil and gas producer Neptune Energy.

Algeria’s total gas output was at 135 billion cubic metres in 2018.

The OPEC member, a major supplier to European gas markets, has been struggling to increase its energy output, on which it relies heavily for state spending to finance development and social programmes.

(Reporting by Lamine Chikhi; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Mark Potter) ((Ulf.Laessing@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: follow me on twitter @ulflaessing))