BP Production Growth Boost Shares Despite Profit Drop

That was down from $720 million a year earlier and $1.51 billion in the first quarter.

The results were impacted by a $750 million charge for unsuccessful exploration campaigns in Angola.

BP's operating cash flow, excluding payments related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, rose in the second quarter of the year to $6.9 billion from $5.3 billion a year earlier.

BP's operating cash flow, including payments related to the spill, rose to $4.9 billion in the first quarter of the year from $3.9 billion a year earlier.

Payments related to the Gulf of Mexico settlement are set to reach $4.5 billion to $5.5 billion in 2017 before falling to $2 billion in 2018. BP has so far paid a pre-tax total of $63.214 billion in clean up costs and penalties.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; editing by Jason Neely and Susan Thomas)