Iran is planning to increase oil production by 45,000 barrels per day next year, Central Oil Fields Company director Mehdi Fakour said.
The rise will occur when three major oil fields in southern Iran -- Sarvestan, Sa'adatabad and Khesht -- come into operation in March 2012, Mehdi Fakour was quoted by Press TV as saying.
The Khesht oilfield’s proven reserves exceed one billion barrels.
The other two oilfields, Sarvestan and Sa'adatabad collectively hold over 1.4 billion barrels.
Iran is OPEC's second largest oil producer and the fifth crude exporter in the world.
