French oil major Total announced a sector-lagging climb in first-quarter profit, triggered by better-than-expected hydrocarbon output and higher prices ensured a boosting start to 2010.

However, some burgeoning uncertainties related to the mid-term production as well as the ongoing issues besieged the restructuring of refining capacity still temper the group's prospects.

"With higher profits and a strong balance sheet in the first quarter, we look confidently on the rest of 2010," Total Chief Executive Christophe de Margerie said Friday. "With the benefit of growing production, we will remain committed to improving profitability and pursuing ongoing development."

Total revealed that the adjusted net income, excluding unrealized gains triggered a rise in the value of inventories, growing by 9 percent compared with the same period in 2009 to 2.3 billion Euros ($3.06 billion), in line with analysts' speculations.

The oil major's first-quarter hydrocarbon production was registered to be 2.43 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, marking a rise 5% from 2.32 million of barrels a day in the first quarter of 2009, contrasted to 2.4 million barrels a day anticipated by analysts’.

The company shares registered a fall 1.8 percent, trading at 41.27 Euros by 0910 GMT, lagging a 0.15 percent rise in the STOXX Europe 600 Oil and Gas index .SXEP.