Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production (OOCEP) announced in a statement Sunday that it plans to invest US$1 billion in gas-fields southeast of the capital Muscat in a bid to improve gas production.

The statement from the state-owned company said it aims to increase gas production to 90 million cubic feet per day by the first quarter of 2013 to meet growing domestic demand. Current production sits at around 60m cubic feet per day.