LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said onThursday it would launch a long-anticipated $25 billion sharebuyback programme after profits soared and debt pile eased inthe second quarter.Shell's net income attributable to shareholders in thequarter, based on a current cost of supplies (CCS) and excludingidentified items rose 30 percent to $4.691 billion from a yearago. The profit nevertheless fell short of a company-providedanalysts' consensus of $5.967 billion.
Oil and gas production in the quarter declined to 3.442million barrels of oil equivalent from 3.839 million boed in thefirst quarter of 2018.(Reporting by Ron Bousso)
