McDermott International lifted its quarterly profit higher than analysts predicted even as it took a $32.3m impairment on a subsea construction vessel.

The New York-listed company reported a $20.7m profit in the second quarter, up from $11.5m in the same period of last year.

Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.08, better than the $0.02 predicted by Wall Street.

Agile's lost contract

But Houston-headquartered McDermott said it took the impairment charge on the 139-metre-long Agile (built 1978) after Petrobras cancelled a charter for the subsea vessel in May.

Meanwhile,