Libya's oil production has reached 700,000 barrels per day (Mbbl/d), the National Oil Corp. (NOC) said on March 22, recovering from a drop earlier in March caused by fighting at two key oil ports.

"We are working very hard to reach 800,000 barrels by the end of April 2017, and, God willing, we will reach 1.1 million barrels next August," NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla was quoted as saying in a statement.

The NOC said in a separate statement it hoped to produce 55 Mbbl/d in the coming weeks from the Abu Attifel and Rimal fields, which are currently closed for maintenance.

The fields are operated by Mellitah Oil and Gas, a joint venture between the NOC and Italy's Eni. The NOC said Mellitah is currently producing 41 Mbbl/d from onshore and offshore fields, as well as 43 Mbbl/d of condensate.

Libya's output fell to about 600 Mbbl/d after eastern security forces lost control on March 3 of the major oil terminals of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, before regaining them 11 days later.

Sanalla has said he expects to retain control over operations at the ports, despite some officials in eastern Libya appearing to cast doubt over continuing cooperation with the NOC in Tripoli.

Workers at the ports have been gradually returning to their posts, and a tanker is expected to load crude at Es Sider on March 25 or March 26, according to shipping sources.

Production at the Waha oil field, which was halted in March, has risen to 35 Mbbl/d, a field engineer said. Waha Oil Co., which operates the field, is hoping to raise production from all its fields to 80 Mbbl/d by the end of March and to more than 100 Mbbl/d by mid-April.

The NOC said on March 20 that some output gains could also come from the southwestern Sharara Field, where it hopes to boost production by 70 Mbbl/d from 221 Mbbl/d now.

Libya's output remains well below the 1.6 MMbbl/dthe North African country had been pumping before a 2011 uprising.

Libya, along with Nigeria, is exempt from recent production cuts agreed upon by OPEC.

The NOC has warned that its production targets are dependent on the corporation receiving funds for operating costs and repairs to infrastructure, an issue that was discussed in a meeting on March 22 between NOC board members and the heads of NOC-affiliated companies.

"There is a delay in paying salaries and the different budgets by the ministry of finance, which is considered essential to increase production and implement the necessary maintenance for many oil fields and ports that were badly affected as a result of the conflicts," the NOC said.