Net profit of PetroChina up 4.5 pct in H1

BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese oil giant PetroChina Company Limited reported a 4.5 percent year-on-year rise in its net profit in the first half of this year (H1).

   Net profit attributable to the parent company reached 85.27 billion yuan (about 11.88 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, the company said in a statement filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

   The company also said that its debt-to-asset ratio fell by 0.9 percentage points from the beginning of this year, signaling better financial status. Its basic earnings per share stood at 0.47 yuan.

   PetroChina shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange went up 0.13 percent on Sept. 1, the previous trading day, to 7.76 yuan.