(Une dépêche parue à 10h54 indiquait à tort que le bénéfice hors éléments exceptionnels était inférieur aux attentes. La version corrigée figure ci-dessous). 

Le groupe pétrolier britannique BG Group (BG.LN) a annoncé jeudi qu'il allait vendre sa participation majoritaire dans Comgas (CGAS5.BR, CGAS3.BR), le plus grand distributeur de gaz brésilien, pour 1,8 milliard de dollars. Il a également dévoilé un bénéfice net multiplié par plus de deux au titre du premier trimestre. 


  BG Group a déclaré avoir conclu un accord avec Cosan (CSAN3.BR), le premier producteur brésilien de sucre et d'éthanol, portant sur la vente de sa participation dans Comgas. Le groupe britannique a précisé que la transaction devrait s'achever d'ici à la fin de l'année. 


  BG Group a publié jeudi des résultats trimestriels encore robustes, soutenus en grande partie par le niveau élevé des cours du pétrole et par la demande croissante en gaz naturel liquéfié. 


  Son bénéfice net a atteint 1,22 milliard de dollars au premier trimestre, contre 597 millions de dollars un an plus tôt. 


  Le bénéfice hors éléments exceptionnels s'est établi à 1,27 milliard de dollars, ce qui est supérieur au consensus réalisé par Dow Jones Newswires auprès de huit analystes, qui était de 1,23 milliard de dollars. 


   -Alexis Flynn, Dow Jones Newswires 


   (Version française Aurélie Henri) 

-0- 


  ("UPDATE: BG Group To Sell Comgas Stake As Profit Doubles," at 0721 GMT, misstated that adjusted earnings missed expectations in the seventh paragraph. The correct version follows:) 


  -- BG Group signs memorandum of understanding with Cosan to sell BG's 60,1% stake in Comgas for $1,8 billion 


  -- U.K. energy firm's first-quarter net profit more than doubles to $1,22 billion 


  -- Continued strong LNG demand from Japan and higher energy prices help underpin profits 


  By Alexis Flynn 


  Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 


  LONDRES (Dow Jones)--BG Group PLC (BG.LN) Thursday announced a $1,8 billion deal to sell its majority share of Brazil's largest gas distributor Comgas (CGAS5.BR, CGAS3.BR), on the same day as the fast-growing U.K. energy firm said its first-quarter net profit more than doubled. 


  BG Group said it had an agreement in place with sugarcane processing giant Cosan SA (CSAN3.BR) for the sale of its holding in Comgas, with a deal likely to be completed by the end of 2012. 


  News of the sale came as BG Group posted another set of robust quarterly earnings, aided in large measure by high energy prices and growing demand for liquefied natural gas. 


  The firm's continued ability to divert LNG cargoes to higher-value markets outside the U.S. meant it could shrug off setbacks like the ongoing shutdown of Total SA's (TOT) Elgin/Franklin field in the North Sea, where the U.K. firm is a minority partner. Strong Japanese demand for LNG--as more nuclear power units in the country went offline following the Fukushima power plant disaster--translated into spot prices 61% higher than in the corresponding period last year. 


  The U.K.'s third-largest natural gas producer said net profit for the three months ended March 31 totaled $1,22 billion, compared with $597 million for the first quarter of 2011. 


  "BG Group has delivered significantly stronger financial results in the first quarter," said Chief Executive Frank Chapman, "and with new production coming onstream, further progress on our major projects, and continued exploration success, we remain firmly on track to achieve our long-term objectives." 


  Total oil and gas production was 669.000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, a 3,4% rise from the same period a year ago. Analysts were expecting production of 667.000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. The higher output partly reflected how operations in the corresponding period last year had been disrupted by unrest in Egypt and Tunisia and flooding in Australia. 


  Revenue for the quarter was up 20,6% to $5,78 billion from $4,79 billion in 2011. 


  Diluted earnings per share were 35,7 cents, compared with 17,4 cents the previous year. 


  BG Group shares opened lower following the news, with analysts highlighting the increased costs the company faces in Australia. At 0708 GMT, BG Group shares were down 22 pence, or 1,5%, at 1.427 pence. 


  -By Alexis Flynn, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207842 9471, alexis.flynn@dowjones.com