ZAGREB, July 27 (Reuters) - Croatian energy group INA INAI.ZA on Friday reported a 39 percent drop in the first-half profit despite sales rising 13 percent.
Profit fell to 533 million Croatian kuna ($83.8 million) on revenue which rose to 9.5 billion kuna on higher prices and production.
EBITDA increased by 5 percent to 1.6 billion kuna, the company said in a filing to the Zagreb Stock Exchange.
INA said in June it has decided to buy back a 50 percent stake held by Italy's ENI ENI.MI in a joint venture exploiting 10 gas wells in the northern Adriatic. MOL MOLB.BU holds a 49 percent stake in INA and the Croatian government owns the remainder.
In April, the government picked a consortium of banks to advise it on buying back INA's stake.
The two sides have been at odds for several years over management rights and INA's investment strategy.
($1 = 6.3611 kuna)