Sudan will add 3,000 barrels a day of oil production from a new oilfield, which will boost the country's output to 64,000 bpd, the general manager of state oil firm Sudapet said.

Sudan has been trying to lift oil production to lower costly fuel imports after losing 73% of oil output when South Sudan seceded in 2011.

The al-Rawat oilfield in White Nile state will go online within two weeks with seven wells, said Aiman Aboujoukh in an interview on Tuesday night.

Sudan hopes to add an extra 20,000 bpd next year if the finance ministry approved funds for exploration, he said.

He said authorities hoped that Western firm would invest inafter the United States confirmed it would lift Khartoum from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that had blocked international funding and debt relief.

Last week, Sudan doubled local fuel prices with immediate effect to tackle budget deficit during an economic crisis.