Italian energy company Eni is expecting to boost oil production in Libya this year, according to its chief upstream officer Antonio Vella.

Speaking in a conference call on 29 April after the company published its first-quarter results, he said Eni is currently producing about 300,000 barrels a day (b/d) in Libya.

Before the 2011 uprising, Eni was producing about 280,000 b/d.

Eni is the only foreign oil company that has managed to maintain production levels amid the country’s worsening conflict.

Total Libyan production has dropped from more than 1.5 million b/d before the uprising to less than 500,000 b/d.

So far, ongoing UN-mediated peace talks have failed to result in an agreement between the country’s two rival governments.

Since November 2015, the country’s conflict has been complicated by the rapid expansion of militant groups affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isis), which has taken control of territory in the cities of Benghazi, Derna and Sirte.

Achieving higher production amid the ongoing conflict in Libya is likely to be challenging.

The El-Feel oil and gas field, operated by Eni, was closed by protesters late last week, while Eni’s Wafra oil and gas field is also under threat of closure from protesters.