Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- OPEC will raise production provided there is genuine need for extra barrels among consuming nations, said Chakib Khelil, Algerian Oil Minister and President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

OPEC, which meets to review production on Feb. 1, is ready to produce more oil ``if consumer countries' demand is real,'' Khelil said in comments run by national news agency Algerie Presse Service

``If there is no real demand, there is no reason for raising supply,'' Khelil said, according to a report on the agency's Web site yesterday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Grant Smith in London at gsmith52@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 18, 2008 06:23 EST