SINGAPORE - PetroChina reported an interim profit of 53.04 billion yuan ($8.18 billion) on Thursday, thanks to rising oil and gas prices and a recovery in Chinese fuel demand from the coronavirus pandemic slump.

The figure compared to a net loss of 29.98 billion yuan in the same period a year earlier.

PetroChina's first-half revenue was up 29% at 1.197 trillion yuan, it said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Oil and gas output dipped 1.7% on-year to 819.6 million barrels of oil equivalent, with crude oil production down 6.8% but gas output up 5.1%.

Refinery throughput rose 6.7% to about 606 million barrels and sales of gasoline, diesel and kerosene combined were up 4.9% at 80.34 million tonnes.

Its domestic gas sales climbed 17.6% to a record 96.25 billion cubic metres amid robust demand growth from industries and power plants under a consistent government push for less-polluting fuels.

($1 = 6.4834 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Kim Coghill) ((aizhu.chen@thomsonreuters.com; +65 6870 3284; Reuters Messaging: aizhu.chen.reuters.com@reuters.net))