Jan 21 (Reuters) - Halliburton surpassed Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, on the back of steady demand for its services and equipment in international markets.
Shares of the company rose nearly 2% in premarket trading.
Offshore exploration and drilling activity in regions including the Middle East, Africa and Asia have boosted demand for oilfield services, with producers seeking to expand their inventories.
"Halliburton's international business is strong. Our collaborative
value proposition is winning, our technology is delivering and our growth engines are aligned with the evolution of the market," CEO Jeff Miller said.
Quarterly revenue from Halliburton's international segment was $3.5 billion, compared with $3.4 billion a year earlier.
The U.S. oilfield producer posted an adjusted profit of 69 cents per share for the three months ended December 31, compared with analysts' expectations of 55 cents per share, according to estimates compiled by LSEG.
Halliburton kicked off the earnings season for U.S. oilfield services providers, as the sector prepares to boost output in Venezuela after the Trump administration outlined a long-term plan urging energy companies to spend $100 billion to revive the country's oil industry.
The company has also begun seeking resumes for a range of positions in Venezuela, including engineers and technicians, according to a job board posting dated January 16, signaling a potential move back to the South American country.
(Reporting by Vallari Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
