(Ecofin Agency) - Algeria has increased production at the giant Hassi Messaoud and Ourhoud oil fields, an official at Sonatrach revealed.

According to the anonymous official, production at the Hassi Messaoud oil field, which is 800 km southeast of Algiers, has increased to 470,000 bbls from 420,000 bbls a few months ago while output at the Ourhoud oil field, located around 1,100 km southeast of Algiers, rose to 125,000 bbls from 100,000 bbls.

The Ourhoud field is operated by Sonatrach and alongside its partners; Anadarko, Pertamina and Cepsa.

“Algeria's top goal is to increase output by 30 percent by 2020,” Noureddine Bouterfa (photo), Algeria’s Energy Minister had said.

He added that in two years to come, Algeria whose current production is at 1.2 million bpd, will no longer need to wait for tender, but will be dealing directly with international oil companies active in the country.

“We can't wait two years because we need to boost our output,” he told Reuters.

The sales of hydrocarbon accounts for nearly 97% of Algeria's revenues as the country is a major supplier of gas to Europe.

The state-oil company, Sonatrach is making efforts to increase the production of hydrocarbon in order to reduce the impact of the fall in oil prices that cut revenues by almost 50%.

The company is currently devoted to boosting output at its mature fields and looking for foreign partners for technology.

“We will dig 32 to 50 wells at Hassi Messaoud starting this year, versus only eight wells in 2013 and 2014. We have used all the techniques including the 'Enhanced Oil Recovery' and the 'Water Alternating Gas' to boost production,” a senior manager at Sonatrach said.

Anita Fatunji