Shell said it benefited from a 49% rise in oil prices - partly caused by unrest in the Middle East and North Africa - as well as an improved operating performance

Royal Dutch Shell cashed in on rising energy prices on Thursday as it reported profits of nearly £5bn between April and the end of June.

The second-quarter haul, which comes at a time of continued fuel price misery for British motorists, represented a jump of 77% on a year earlier.

The company said it benefited from a 49% rise in oil prices – partly caused by unrest in the Middle East and North Africa – as well as an improved operating performance, although asset sales meant production fell 2% in the period.

The figures, which were in line with market expectations, come two days after BP reported profits for the three months to June of £3.2bn.

Shell's chief executive, Peter Voser, defended the company's profits haul as he pledged to deliver a "new wave" of production growth.

He said: "Shell reinvests its profits to meet customer demand for low-cost energy, and to pay attractive returns to shareholders."

The oil and gas giant recently said it planned to invest $100bn (£62.4bn) on new projects over the next four years, including new projects in Qatar and Canada this year.

It has set a target of 3.7m barrels of oil equivalent a day for 2014, an increase of 12% on 2010 levels, which it claims is among the highest growth rates in the sector.

Shell has also benefited from a turnaround in the profitability of its downstream operations, with quarterly profits up 28% on a year earlier to $1.88bn in the three months.

Voser has responded to more difficult conditions in downstream operations through restructuring initiatives and has refocused the Anglo-Dutch firm's efforts on emerging growth markets.