(MENAFN) Sudan's oil minister, Faisal Hamad, stated that the country plans to boost its oil output during the current year to at least 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), reported The Peninsula.

Hamad said that output from two new oilfields, in Block 17 and Block 6, will help Sudan achieve this target.

 

The minister added that Al Barsaya oilfield in Block 17 in South Kordofan state has begun operations with an initial output of 6,000 bpd, estimated to be increased to between 10,000 bpd and 15,000 bpd in 2013.

In the mean time, the second new oilfield in Hadida in Block 6 in the western Darfur region is expected to boost output to 20,000 bpd in 2013 from 10,000 bpd at the current time.

Currently, Sudan's oil output stands between 136,000 bpd and 140,000 bpd, and meets domestic needs only.

In 2012, the African country inked an agreement with Norway to help enhance the recovery rate of existing wells to 47 percent from 23 percent.