Bogota, Nov 8 (IANS/EFE): Average oil output in Colombia climbed to 960,953 barrels per day in October, up 0.9 percent from the same month of 2011, the Mines and Energy Ministry said.

Daily crude production stood at 952,360 barrels in October of last year, while the goal for 2013 is to reach 1 million barrels per day.

According to a report the ministry released Tuesday, the increase in October was achieved by halting disruptions at various pipelines and "stabilizing production at the different fields".

The ministry was alluding to a drop in attacks by leftist rebels on pipelines and other oil industry infrastructure in the year's second half.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and the smaller National Liberation Army, or ELN, have targeted oil pipelines in the Andean nation for decades, defending the sabotage as a way of preventing multinationals from draining the country's natural resources.

Colombia has roughly 2.55 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.