BAKU: Azerbaijan produced 21.06 million tonnes of oil in January-June, 0.4 percent more than in the first half of last year and the first rise since May last year, the State Statistics Committee said on Thursday.

It increased its output of natural gas to 14.9 billion cubic metres (bcm), from 14.6 bcm.

The central Asian country expects to produce 41 million tonnes of oil this year and 29 bcm of gas.

Last year it produced 41.7 million tonnes of crude oil and condensate, down 0.8 percent from 2014. It produced 29.7 bcm of gas, up from 29.4 bcm a year earlier.

Falling output at the Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) oilfields operated by oil major BP led the overall drop as BP had planned maintenances at its platforms in May and November last year.

Copyright Reuters, 2016