LNG

May 8 (LNGJ) - Statoil, the LNG player with investments in Norway, the US and Russia, said first quarter 2012 net operating income was 57.9 billion Norwegian crowns ($10Bln), a 14 percent increase compared to 50.8Bln crowns in the first quarter last year. "Statoil grew production by 11 percent and realised high oil and gas prices in the first quarter," said Chief Executive Helge Lund. "We continued to start up new fields and ramp up production, delivering record international production. On the Norwegian continental shelf, we increased gas production in line with our strategy of gas optimisation," Lund said.