Sonatrach plans to increase gas production from the Algerian Rhoude El Baguel oilfield by 6 million cubic meters a day (mcm/d), according to the CEO of the state-owned energy firm, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, Reuters reports.

Earlier this month, the company announced that it will increase gas production from its Hassi Massaoud field by 10 mcm.

New technologies could increase gas production at existing sites, Ould Kaddour stated.

He has recently called for regulatory reforms in Algeria to encourage foreign investment in the energy sector, Reuters reports.

“We are talking to the government to make it more attractive for investment, I understand that taxes, and exploration legal framework, need to be changed,” Ould Kaddour stated. He added that Eni and Total are currently considering projects in Algeria.

The Algerian government has come under increasing fiscal strain due to the ongoing slump in world oil prices, Bloomberg reports.

Sonatrach is an Algerian state-owned energy company. Both the Rhoude El Baguel and Hassi Massaoud oilfields are located in eastern Algeria.