Venezuela aims to build an oil price floor of $80 a barrel to boost its oil production in the coming years, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said Tuesday.

The goal is to double oil production to 6 million barrels a day by 2030, Ramirez said.

Speaking at a heavy crude oil conference, Ramirez said current production in Venezuela stands at about 3 million barrels a day, but that by 2015 the government aims for production to reach 4.7 million barrels a day. By 2030, production could reach 6 million barrels a day, he added.

To reach these goals, Ramirez said state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela aims to "build a floor" on oil prices at $80 a barrel.

The two-day conference that began Tuesday in Caracas is being held by Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PdVSA, along with French oil firm Total SA (FP.FR).

Among PDVSA's most ambitious projects is the Junin 6 oil block in the heavy-crude Orinoco belt, which it's developing with Russian oil firms. Ramirez said production at the block, which is still in the development phase, could reach more than 400,000 barrels a day.

He said Russia has already put down $1 billion as a show of commitment to the project.

Ramirez also said PDVSA is preparing to sign a deal with Italy's ENI SpA to develop the Junin 5 block, where it hopes to produce 200,000 barrels a day.

The oil minister, who also serves as head of PdVSA, said the overall idea behind boosting oil production is to help develop the economy of the entire country.

"We want to use oil production as the motor for being able to diversify the economy of Venezuela," he said.

Regarding the long-delayed plans for the so-called Carabobo bidding round for 7 blocks in the oil-rich Orinoco belt, Ramirez said those blocks could produce a total of 1.2 million barrels a day.

Ramirez said that the government will meet with the bidding companies Sept. 29 to finalize the terms of the bidding round.

The government has said that it aims to have the auction before the end of the year.

-By Dan Molinski, Dow Jones Newswires; (58) 414 249 6821; dan.molinski@dowjones.com