Royal Dutch Shell plc saw better-than-expected profits in the first quarter as global demand for oil and natural gas soared along with prices.

CEO Ben van Beurden during a conference call to discuss quarterly performance, said Shell was in a “pole position to benefit from the economic recovery” after posting the strong start for the year. He and CFO Jessical Uhl discussed results and the outlook ahead for the Anglo-Dutch supermajor.

“Our integrated business model is ideally positioned to benefit from recovering demand,” said the CEO.

Shell’s net profits jumped to $5.66 billion (73 cents/share) versus the year-ago net loss of minus $24 million and the fourth quarter loss of $4.01 billion. Cash flow from operations surpassed $8 billion, up 32% from the fourth...