Elliott Advisors (UK) became the latest investor in Dragon Oil to say the takeover offer for majority shareholder Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) undervalued the oil producer.

Elliott also said Dragon Oil could increase oil production "meaningfully in excess" of its target of 100,000 barrels of oil per day, a day after Enoc said the company should lower its near-term production target.

Two other large minority shareholders, Baillie Gifford and Setanta Asset Management, have also said Enoc's offer of 750 pence per share undervalued Dragon Oil and that the company's production could be increased.

"We are surprised that a few financial investors claim to know more about the assets than the people that operate them on a daily basis," an Enoc spokesman said.

The Emirati firm said on Thursday that it expected Dragon Oil to face operational challenges at its Cheleken field in Turkmenistan, its only producing asset, and that the company should lower its production target to 90,000 barrels per day.

Dragon Oil reiterated on Tuesday that it would sustain its production target for at least five years.

Baillie Gifford holds about 7.2 per cent in Dragon Oil, while Elliott owns about 3.3 per cent and Setanta about 3.1 per cent.

Dubai-based Enoc, which owns 54 per cent of Dragon Oil, needs acceptance from another 23 per cent of the company's shareholders for the takeover to go through.

The offer has already received the approval of Dragon Oil's board.-Reuters