Sudan plans to boost oil production to 180,000 barrels per day at the start of 2012, its acting oil minister told state news agency SUNA on Tuesday.

Current oil production stands at 117,000 bpd, Ali Ahmed Osman told SUNA. Sudan's domestic oil consumption was between 105,000 bpd and 110,000 bpd.

Sudan has said it wants to expand exploration to increase output, but it has given no details yet.

South Sudan took most of the country's oil reserves when it gained independence under a 2005 peace deal. The loss of oil -- the main source of state income -- has thrown the northern economy into turmoil,

The South will have to pay Khartoum a transit fee to use northern facilities, but the two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement.