Reuters
OSLO (Reuters) -Equinor on Thursday posted higher-than-expected profits for the first quarter and said this was driven by high production in its native Norway and strong operational performance. The Norwegian oil and gas producer's adjusted earnings before tax for January-March fell to $7.53 billion from $11.92 billion a year earlier amid lower gas prices, beating the $7.2 billion seen in a poll of 22 analysts compiled by Equinor. "Production on the Norwegian continental shelf was high, and the international portfolio contributed with solid production growth," Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said in a statement.