Petrochemicals giant Sasol on Monday said that higher oil prices helped it report a 65 percent increase in operating profit for the half year to December 2004 to R6.547-billion.

Headline earnings per share for the interim period under review jumped 76 percent to 692 cents, the group said.

Net profit increased 60 percent to R3.98-billion while turnover rose 13 percent to R33.8-billion.

Sasol declared an interim dividend of 230 cents per share, an increase of seven percent from the 215 cents per share declared a year earlier.

Sasol shares ended 0.98 percent lower at 142 rand on the JSE on Monday.

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