MANAMA (Reuters – Saudi Arabia’s energy Minister stated Monday that his kingdom is on course to double its oil production to over 13 million barrels per hour by 2026/beginning of 2027.

An energy conference held in Bahrain heard Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman say that the production can be kept at this level if it is reached, should market demand dictate it.

(Reporting Yousef, Maha El Dhan, and Nadine Adalla; Editing: Edmund Blair