SINGAPORE, April 23 (Reuters) - Singapore's Keppel Corp <KPLM.SI>, the world's largest offshore oil rig builder, posted a 9 percent rise in first quarter net profit on Thursday, and reiterated that the company outlook remains uncertain.
The conglomerate earned S$285 million ($189.6 million) in the first three months of 2009, up from S$262 million in the year ago period.
Earlier this year Keppel said that 2009 would be a challenging year for the firm, which has a market value of $6.3 billion.
Keppel Corp and rival Sembcorp Marine <SCMN.SI> benefited from the jump in oil exploration in recent years as crude prices <CLc1> soared to record highs, but oil prices slid from near-$150 a barrel in 2008 to less than $50 by the end of the first quarter.
