(Reuters) - Electricity and gas retailer Origin Energy on Tuesday posted a 53 percent rise in third quarter gas production revenue from its stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG), driven by higher oil prices.
Origin's share of revenue came in at A$763.9 million ($539.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, up from A$499.9 million in the same period a year earlier.
Production for the quarter rose 1 percent from a year ago to 63.3 petajoules(PJ).
APLNG, the largest producer of natural gas in eastern Australia, is a joint venture between Origin, ConocoPhillips, and China's Sinopec.
The total cash distribution from APLNG for financial year 2019 is expected to be about A$850 million, Origin said in a statement.
Liquefied natural gas from the APLNG project was sold at an average realised price of $10.84 per metric million British thermal unit (mmBtu) in the March quarter, up from $8.10 last year.
Origin, which controls nearly a third of Australia's energy retailing market, said in February it expects to take a charge on annual pre-tax earnings from fiscal 2020 due to a draft proposal by the government to lower the cost of energy for consumers.
The company's shares have climbed 15.2 pct so far this year, compared with a 31 percent slump in 2018.
(Reporting by Niyati Shetty and Shanima A in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin)
