News: ORG UPDATE 1-Origin Energy sees higher operating earnings from electricity unit in 2024

(Adds details on dividend in paragraph 2, profit details in paragraph 4)

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Australian power producer Origin Energy (ORG) said on Thursday it expects a sharp jump in fiscal 2024 operating earnings from its main electricity-selling segment.

The company, which has agreed to a A$15.35 billion takeover offer from a Brookfield-led consortium BAM.TO , also declared a final dividend of 20 Australian cents per share, higher than last year's 16.5 cents apiece.

Global oil and gas prices, which hit record highs in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, slipped in the first half of this year, but have stayed well above long-term average levels despite softer demand recovery in key consumer China.

Improved earnings across energy markets and integrated gas segments have helped Origin Energy report an underlying profit of A$747 million ($479.95 million) for the year ended June 30, compared with A$407 million a year earlier.

Analysts on average had estimated A$638.76 million in profit, according to Refinitiv data.

The company's main revenue generating segment, Energy Markets, is expected to report underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in the range of A$1,300 million to A$1,700 million, compared with A$1,038 million a year earlier.

($1 = 1.5564 Australian dollars)