Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Thursday net profit rose 18 percent in the second quarter, thanks to asset sales and strong increases in margins at oil refineries _ but the company's net gas and oil production dipped. Net profit at The Hague, Netherlands-based company was US$8.67 billion (¤6.27 billion), close to a European record for quarterly earnings, up from US$7.32 billion. Sales rose 2.2 percent to US$84.9 billion (¤61.4 billion). In all, asset sales and other benefits totaled US$660 million (¤478 million), compared with a charge of US$232 million in the same quarter a year ago. «Major projects are going well and our disposal program adds more focus in the company,» Chief Executive Officer Jeroen van der Veer said in a conference call. Shares rose 0.8 percent to ¤29.71 (US$41.06) in early Amsterdam trading, which traders said was in part due to a rise in oil prices from Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
