ExxonMobil Indonesia inc. will invest 450 million U.S. dollar for gas and oil exploration in two blocks in West Sulawesi province, a spokesperson of the company said here on Thursday.

    The two blocks, Mandar in Polewali Mandar regency and Surumana near Dongala regency, are predicted to have total reserves of 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent, the spokesperson, Deva Rahman told Xinhua.

    Some of the funds will be spent on rig hiring, which will cost up to 70 million U.S. dollars, she said.

    Drilling activities in the fields will begin in December, said Rahman.

    Indonesia has been attempting to boost crude oil output and gas as it failed to find new oil and gas fields fast enough and it badly needs oil and gas for domestic industries and exports.

    Currently, the country's only can produce 927,000 barrel of oil per day.

    Indonesia, the world's second-biggest liquefied natural gas ( LNG) exporter after Qatar, has more far more gas than oil.