据路透社8月22日报道，在创纪录产量的推动下，英国Premier石油公司周四公布，其上半年税后利润增长23.5%，并表示，该公司已经开始出售其在墨西哥近海的Zama油田的资产，以削减债务。

Premier石油表示，由于英国北海Catcher油田产量增加，截至6月30日，其六个月的税后利润从一年前同期的9800万美元增加到了1.21亿美元。

该石油和天然气生产商在6月份提高了对其Zama油田的资源估计，表示对墨西哥浅水区的兴趣不断增加，促使其启动了销售进程。

截至6月底，Premier石油的净债务为21.5亿美元，该公司表示：“如果成功，这将帮助该集团债务水平的实质性下降。”Jefferies的分析师估计，Premier石油在Zama油田的资产价值为4.39亿美元。

该公司的撤资计划是在寻求扩大其在英国北海Catcher油田的同时制定的，预计该公司将很快获得开发Catcher附属油田的批准。

这家英国富时250指数上市公司表示，其产量从每天7.62万桶石油当量，增长了10.4%，达到每天8.41万桶石油当量，并在5月提高产量后再次确认了2019年每天7.5万桶石油当量至每天8万桶石油当量的生产目标。

詹晓晶 摘自 路透社

原文如下：

Premier Oil profit jumps, starts Zama sale process

Britain’s Premier Oil posted a 23.5% rise in its first-half profit after tax on Thursday, boosted by record output, and said it has begun the process to sell its assets in the Zama field on offshore Mexico to cut debt.

Profit after tax rose to $121 million for six months ended June 30 from $98 million a year earlier, helped by higher output from Catcher field in Britain’s North Sea, Premier Oil said.

The oil and gas producer, which had raised its resource estimate for the Zama field in June, said increasing interest in Mexico’s shallow water had prompted it to start the sale process.

“In the success case, this will lead to a material reduction in the Group’s debt levels,” said Premier Oil, whose net debt was $2.15 billion as of June end. Jefferies analysts valued Premier’s assets at the Zama field at $439 million.

The company’s divestment plans come as it looks to expand its flagship Catcher field in the British North Sea, where it expects to receive approval to develop satellite oil fields very soon.

The FTSE 250-listed company said output rose 10.4% to 84,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from 76,200 boepd, and reaffirmed 2019 production target of 75,000 to 80,000 boepd after having raised the range in May.