OSLO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Aker BP posted asmaller-than-expected increase in fourth-quarter earnings onWednesday and raised its dividend amid strong cash from outputgrowth and higher oil price.
The Norwegian independent oil firm's earnings beforeinterest and taxes rose to $403 million from $305 million in thesame quarter a year ago, lagging the $491 million expected byanalysts in a Reuters poll.
Aker BP, 30 percent owned by BP Plc, said it will paya quarterly dividend of $0.5207 per share, more than the $0.38anticipated by analysts.
In total, the company's so-called contingent oil and gasresources grew by 23 percent in 2018, it said in a statement.
The company said on Jan. 17 it planned to pay itsshareholders a total of $750 million in 2019, up from $450million in 2018.
It previously reported production in the fourth-quarter wasat 155,700 barrels of oil equivalents (boe) per day, in linewith the guidance.(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, editing by Terje Solsvik)