Profits at listed Irish engineering and construction group Kentz rose in the first six months of 2009, but revenue remained relatively flat.
Profits before tax increased 9.9 per cent to $18.5 million in the first half of the year, the company said. Earnings per share were 0.9 per cent up to just over $0.11.
Revenue, however, only increased marginally, rising to $328.8 million from $328.6 million a year earlier.
In a statement, the company said some large project awards fell outside the reporting period and as a result the company was expecting a stronger revenue weighting for the second half of the year.
Chief executive Hugh O'Donnell said the first half of 2009 showed a strong performance for the company.
"The outlook remains positive for projects in the onshore oil and gas sector across a number of regions," he said. "Australasia and the Middle East are the largest growth areas and Kentz has achieved some noteworthy contract awards in both locations during the past six months."
The company said it was anticipating an increase in project activity for Kentz following a steady increase in energy prices over the past few months.
