Petrofac Ltd, the Aberdeen-based oil and gas services group, has reported a larger-than-expected fall in its first-half profits. The firm said the backlog at its engineering, construction, operations and maintenance (Ecom) arm was £12.2 billion at the end of June.

Underlying operating profits fell despite record orders, but Petrofac said revenues and profits will be “significantly” weighted towards the second half, reflecting the timing of projects.

Chief executive Ayman Asfari said: “In Ecom, we have already had our most successful year for new awards, reflecting on-going high levels of investment by our customers in our core geographic markets and our strong competitive position.

“Our pipeline of bidding opportunities remains attractive, and we are confident of securing a number of further awards and contract extensions during the second half of the year.”