March 6 (Reuters) - Oil and gas company Canadian Natural

Resources ( CNQ ) on Thursday posted a fall in fourth-quarter

profit as weaker commodity prices overshadowed a rise in

production.

The company also said finance chief Mark Stainthorpe

will step down from his post as part of its ongoing management

succession, effective April 30. He will be replaced by insider

Victor Darel.

Average Brent crude futures fell 3% in 2024 as major

consumer China's economy weakened, while the OPEC+ producer

group postponed planned supply increases and, in a sign of muted

demand, extended deep output cuts to the end of 2026.

Canadian Natural, the country's largest oil and gas

producer, said its output rose to 1.47 million barrels of oil

equivalent per day (mboepd) during the fourth quarter from 1.42

mboepd a year ago.

The company produced 1.09 million barrels per day (bpd)

of liquids and 2.28 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of

natural gas during the quarter, compared to 1.04 million bpd of

liquids and 2.23 bcf/d of natgas a year earlier.

The Calgary, Alberta-based company's net income fell to

C$1.14 billion ($794.76 million), or 54 Canadian cents per

share, in the three months ended December 31, from C$2.63

billion, or C$1.21, a year earlier.

($1 = 1.4344 Canadian dollars)