(PARIS) - French oil giant Total on Friday reported net earnings of seven billion euros for the first half of 2008, a 15-percent increase fuelled by soaring oil prices.

Adjusted net income for the first semester was 6.977 billion euros (10.7 billion dollars), while turnover jumped 21 percent to 92.4 billion euros compared to the same period in 2007, according to a statement.

High oil prices boosted earnings for the group's upstream oil exploration and production activities, comfortably offsetting a slump in sales at petrol pumps, Total figures showed.

Brent North Sea crude prices jumped 72 percent between the first half of 2007 and the first half of 2008, closing Thursday at 123.98 dollars a barrel, Total noted.

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