UPDATE 1-Petroecuador ups possible/probable reserves in '09

(Adds details)

QUITO Dec 29 (Reuters) - State oil firm Petroecuador raised its possible and probable crude reserves by 120.4 million barrels in 2009, due to an aggressive $140 million exploration investment, a company official said on Tuesday.

Freddy Garcia, vice president of Petroecuador's operating arm Petroproduccion, said the aim for 2009 had been to find an extra 104.9 million barrels of possible and probable reserves. "So we have achieved 115 percent of our aim," he told Reuters.

There were no figures available for Ecuador's total possible and probable reserves. But the South American OPEC member nation has 2.1 billion barrels of commercially viable proven reserves, according to official data.

Garcia said this figure would probably go up with the new studies taking place. Petroecuador planned a similar investment in exploration for 2010, he added.

Ecuador produces about 465,000 barrels per day, taking into account Petroecuador and private companies. (Reporting by Santiago Silva; Editing by Christian Wiessner)